Back from the Dead
by lexie2
Summary: Almost three years have gone by since Lionel s murder trial but its effects are far from over for everyone involved. A mysterious meeting in Star City resurrects hidden skeletons and wakes up many ghosts.CHLEX
1. Ghosts

**A/N: **I´m breaking a golden rule of mine here by starting to post a fic that I haven´t finished writing yet. Why? My muse needs a serious boost to keep writing the multi-chaptered stories I love penning. I´ve got enough material so far to give you regular updates every ten days for three months- that´s something, isn´t it? Hope this decision won´t end up biting me in my behind.

Feedback will make my day and push my muse to keep on writing beyond the three months.

**SUMMARY**: Almost three years have gone by since Lionel´s murder trial but its effects are far from over for everyone involved. A mysterious meeting in Star City resurrects hidden skeletons and wakes up many ghosts.

**AUTHOR**: Lexie

**RATING:** PG-13/R

**CHAPTER I:** Ghosts

_STAR CITY- A HOUSE IN THE SUBURBS_

Chloe. The name suited her, but so did Karen- the name that had been on her social security card when she had been rushed into the ER of Star City Memorial that fateful summer. For almost three years now she had been `his´ Karen, his wife and the mother of the two-year old who was the apple of his eyes.

She had entered his life unannounced and for the first time in years had made him feel really useful, enabled him to aid someone in a way that actually mattered. He had tended to her wounds and burns with his skilful surgeon hands and sometime along the way he had fallen in love with her; and his love and tender care had helped her survive the anguish of losing a life she had no memory of and cope with the physical pain caused by an explosion nobody could find a reason for.

The reason had come knocking at his door two days ago and he dreaded what it might entail for, even though he had never seen the man face-to-face before then, he knew the kind and was certain his threats weren´t to be taken lightly. His first instinct had been to pack up their things and take his family away where no one could find them, a place where he could still be a loving husband and father to the two most important women in his life, but he was aware it would have been futile to try to hide from such a man.

"Hi," murmured the sleepy young blond flashing him a lazy smile.

"Hi," he responded quietly, feeling a big lump in his throat.

"What´s wrong?" she asked in a raspy voice.

"Nothing you should worry about," he smiled weakly, leaning down to press a soft kiss on her lips before standing up next to their king-sized bed.

"Are you sure? I know when you aren´t being completely honest with me, Phil," she said, sitting up and grabbing his hand before he could turn away.

"I´ve got surgery this morning and it isn´t one of those nose jobs or breast enhancements I used to do before I met you. I always get jitters whenever I do reconstructive surgery. They go away once I´m in the OR but..."

"Your patient´ll be in the best of hands," she cut him off." I´m proud of you, Phil. You´ve managed to get from under your dad´s shadow and make a name for yourself on your own merits."

He looked at his wife in her long-sleeved cotton sleepwear and thought of the other women who had been in his life before she entered that ER- well-endowed girls with whom to have a good time no strings attached and who used their bodies to get what they wanted. She was nothing like those women, and she had changed his empty life the moment she opened her deep green eyes when coming out of the anaesthesia. He hadn´t seen the blinding smile for which he woke up every morning until months later but, by then, his heart was already captive of the strong-willed blond. Now the life they had built together was being threatened by her past- a past of which she was oblivious and about which he had just learnt. And Phil swore to himself, once he had found out who the man was and what role he had played in her life, that the bastard would never come close to her again.

Chloe got up while Phil was in his study going over his patient´s medical records and plugged in the Italian coffee maker her husband had given her as a gift last Christmas. Breakfast was always a special meal for them since he rarely came home for lunch, preferring to grab something to eat at the hospital cafeteria or to have some homemade snack in his office. It was early in the morning when she could share with him the latest news about baby Laura or the book she was currently working on. Although she could remember almost nothing about her past, there was something she´d always known, she loved the thrill of researching and writing, and that passion had helped her rediscover who she was beyond the name she had never felt to be her own.

Baby Laura was sleeping soundly in her bed when Phil entered her room on his way to the kitchen. She looked so innocent and healthy, completely alien to the threat which was hovering over them. Sitting down on the bed Phil brushed a few strands of blonde hair off the girl´s face and, leaning down, pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Phil, breakfast´s ready," murmured Chloe from the doorway as he tucked Laura in. "Are you sure everything´s OK?" she asked him once again, when he left the door ajar.

"Everything´s fine, sweetheart. Let´s have an energising cup of that amazing coffee you´ve brewed, and we´ll discuss how the research for your new book´s going."

"I didn´t know what you wanted to have this morning so I saved you a piece of chocolate cake and a couple of Danish pastries I brought from the coffee shop yesterday," she told him, laying a plate with the bakery treats on the table and going back to the work top for the coffee.

"You´ve hit the jackpot with this new caterer. I´ve never had a chocolate cake that tasted this heavenly," he moaned, savouring the spongy dessert.

"That´s because you´ve never tasted Martha´s baking," she smiled, sipping her frothy mug of java.

"Martha?" he echoed, shooting her a questioning look.

"Did I say Martha?" she asked with a frown.

"Yes, that´s what you said. Is she someone you used to know before we met?" he said, adding a spoonful of sugar to his coffee.

"I don´t know where that came from," she shook her head." Maybe ... She must be, I suppose. I´m not friends with any Martha at present."

"You know what Dr Spencer said, Karen. Memories might come back gradually. Your mind´ll know when the time´s right."

"I´ve been having some strange dreams lately," she told him, shuffling on her seat.

"What kind of dreams?" he asked her, wondering if she´d already started remembering what he wished she didn´t.

"Disconnected things, actually. I see myself in a small office... there are a couple of computers, a filing cabinet and... a huge bulletin board on one of the walls... it´s covered with newspaper clips. I feel happy there... as if it were the only place where I really belonged," she explained with a far distant look.

"What else do you remember about this ... office?" he egged her on.

"There was a black bird in a poster... a crow, maybe? A couple of nights ago I dreamed I was standing in the middle of that office and everything was in pieces- as if there had been a break-in. I knelt down and picked up what I think was a... copy of a high school newspaper. I woke up before I could make out the name," she responded with a hint of frustration in her voice.

"I´m sure that..." he began saying only to be interrupted by the front door bell.

"It´s half past seven. Who could it be so early in the morning?" she frowned, starting to get up from her chair.

"Stay," he told her, resting a hand on hers to detain her. "I´ll see who it is. In the meantime, why don´t you pick me a tie to wear with this new shirt, OK?" he added, smiling and giving her a peck on her lips.

"Something to lift your spirits or to put you at ease?" she cocked her eyebrow, picking up her mug to rinse it in the sink.

"You know me better than anyone. You´ll know what I need," he responded from the threshold as he made his way to the hall.

As soon as he reached the front door he drew one of the white voile curtains aside and took a peek outside. There was a long black limousine parked in front of the house, an incongruous presence in the middle-class neighbourhood they had chosen to live in when they got married and he decided to prioritise his work at the public hospital. Phil felt a sudden clench in his gut when he spotted the man standing in his porch- he hadn´t waited long.

"What are you doing here?" hissed Chloe´s husband on opening the door.

"Dr Fairchild, I thought we´d agreed you´d give me a call," answered the man who´d been haunting Phil´s thoughts the last couple of days.

"There was no such agreement. I want you to leave my family alone," he replied, coming out onto the veranda and closing the door firmly behind them.

"I´m afraid that won´t be possible. You´ve got something I want. Why make things more difficult than they already are? This isn´t the kind of life you´ve always been used to, Dr Fairchild. Just name your price," he said tersely, slipping his hand into his overcoat to take out his chequebook.

"Keep your filthy money. I´ve got everything I want and need right here," Phil spat at him. "My family´s not for sale."

"Isn´t there some place quieter to discuss this? I´m afraid we´re attracting your neighbour´s attention," said the man, shooting a glance around them.

Phil caught a glimpse of Chloe at one of the living-room windows and decided it´d be better to move this tête-à-tête elsewhere before she came out of the house and things got uglier.

"Come this way," he murmured, leading the unwelcome visitor to the garage.

Chloe looked at the clock on the mantelpiece and saw it was five to eight- time for her to start getting ready for work. She climbed up the stairs to the master bedroom wondering who that limousine might belong to and what was so urgent that couldn´t be conducted at Phil´s surgery later in the afternoon- her husband had cut down his private practice, but he still kept an office in the city centre where he saw to the patients who required reconstructive surgery and could pay for his services.

"Mummy?" came Laura´s voice.

"What´s wrong, sweetie?" asked Chloe, stepping into her child´s room

"Thirsty," replied the girl sitting up on her bed and rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"I´ll give you some water and you can go on sleeping, OK. Mummy´ll wake you up when breakfast´s ready," said Chloe, grabbing the girl´s Winnie-the-Pooh sippy glass and filling it up.

She turned off the washbasin tap and looked at herself in the mirror-she needed a haircut. Maybe she would ask Jerry to cover her for two hours at the till so that she could stop by the hairdresser´s; after all she was the coffee house owner. Yes, she could even take her notepad along and continue the draft for her new book while sitting in the hairdresser´s chair. She smiled and, switching off the light in the bathroom, turned around to walk back into the room. It was at that moment, when the clock struck eight, that two shots were heard and the sippy glass ended on the floor- its content dampening the little girl´s carpet.

_METROPOLIS- LUTHORCORP PLAZA_

Lex was in the middle of a board meeting when his assistant informed him he had an urgent call. The young billionaire knew Jennifer well enough to conclude the interruption had to be warranted; the young woman would never dare enter a room where he was doing business unless she´d been summoned.

"Luthor," he said, picking up the handset in the privacy of his own office.

"Sorry for interrupting you, sir. We´ve got bad news, I´m afraid," replied LuthorCorp´s head of security.

"Was there another break-in?" he asked, massaging the tense muscles of his neck and wondering what made the leaguers in their fancy costumes think they were anything other than terrorists.

"Not today, sir. This call is about that other matter you´ve asked us to keep an eye on," responded the veteran professional gravely.

"What about it?" he asked the employee, feeling the bile suddenly rise up to his throat.

"You´ve got to fly to Star City, Mr Luthor," responded the security guy after a slight pause.

"I´m in the middle of an important negotiation, Harris. I´m paying you to handle things. What´s so urgent that requires my being there?"

"He´s dead, sir," replied the employee in a serious tone.

"Dead?" echoed Lex, gripping the handset tightly. "What happened?"

"He was shot twice in the lower abdomen. He died almost instantly, sir."

"What was he doing in Star City, Harris?"

"We followed him to a middle-class neighbourhood and stayed under cover."

"A middle-class neighbourhood?" Lex repeated, thinking that wasn´t the place he´d have envisioned for such a demise- a dark alley in an uninhabited part of town or maybe an empty warehouse on the pier would have been more fitting.

"Do you have a name for me?" he added in a controlled voice.

"Fairchild. Dr Philip Fairchild- a plastic surgeon at Star City Memorial. We still don´t know what kind of business they had."

"Where are you calling from?"

"We´re stationed a few yards away from the doc´s house... just across the street. The coroner´s ready to leave and CSI´s working on the scene."

"Tell McCormack to wait for me at the helipad. I´ll be there within the hour," said an impassive Lex, ending the conversation.

**TBC**


	2. The Past Knocks at the Door

**CHAPTER 2:** The Past Knocks at the Door

STAR CITY- THE FAIRCHILDS´ LIVING ROOM

Two hours had gone by since the shooting and the detective in charge of the investigation was sitting in the cosy living-room of the Fairchilds trying to get a statement from the young widow. Half an hour ago the paramedics had given her a sedative to help her with the shock and now that it had started to kick in, the police officer wanted to get some answers that might shed some light on the fatal incident.

It was evident that both men had struggled for possession of the gun- a fight which ended with two bullets in the older man´s abdomen and a fatal wound accidentally inflicted on the young man´s body when he tripped and hit his head against a work bench. However, the detective was more interested in the why than in the how, and the fact that a prominent but infamous Metropolis name was involved in the crime didn´t bode well.

"Mrs Fairchild, I know how difficult this must be for you, but I need to ask you a few questions," the detective told Chloe after she downed a glass of icy-cold water with shaky fingers.

"There isn´t much to say, detective," she choked as tears welled up in her eyes. "What did that man want with my husband?" she asked, wiping the tears away with the heel of her hands.

"Have you ever heard of... " the policemen started to ask when a cultured, well-modulated voice was heard in the background.

" Who´s the officer in charge?" Lex asked a rookie, who was standing at the front door.

"Would you excuse me for a just a minute, madam?" the detective told Chloe as he got up from the armchair and crossed the living-room towards the entrance.

"I´m sorry, sir. You´ll have to wait outside," the rookie tried to stall Lionel Luthor´s first born.

"It´s all right, agent," interrupted the detective, recognising the tall patrician man as LuthorCorp´s CEO."I´ll deal with him. Mr Luthor, I´m Detective Straub- the officer in charge of the murder investigation. I´m sorry for your loss," the veteran law enforcer said, stepping out onto the veranda and shaking hands with the billionaire.

Lex clasped the older man´s hand in his and took a mental note to request an in-depth profile of the officer to make sure he wasn´t on Lionel´s payroll. The twenty-six-year-old wanted to discover not just what his father had been doing in Star City, but also what had finally got him killed. Lex had toyed with the idea of hiring a hit man after the safe house explosion in which both Gabe and Chloe had lost their lives; but murder would have been too humane an ending for Lionel Luthor. No, the young CEO had had plans to make Lionel suffer for putting an end to the lives of a man Lex had grown to look up to as a father figure and a young woman who had made him want to be a better man. During the last three years he had had his father followed and investigated in an attempt to build up a new case that could secure his life-imprisonment. Now it seemed all his efforts had been in vain for Dr Fairchild had robbed Lex of the pleasure of putting his dad behind bars and throwing the key. And the young billionaire had to know why.

"Thank you, Detective Straub. Although it´s common knowledge my father and I haven´t been on speaking terms for years."

"How did you find out about the crime so soon? We´ve barely identified one of the victims as your father," asked the detective with a puzzled look.

"The fact that we were estranged doesn´t mean we didn´t keep tabs on each other, Detective. When you run a multimillion dollar corporation such as mine you always have to be one step ahead of those that might pose a threat to your empire and your own security. You don´t need me to explain to you the circumstances under which I gained control of LuthorCorp; it was pasted on the front page of every major newspaper around the country," responded Lionel´s heir, boring his intense blue-grey eyes into the policeman.

"Right," assented the older man with a tight smile. "Tell me, do you happen to know what your father was doing in Star City and why he called upon Dr Fairchild?" he added as Lex´s eyes strayed to an exquisite portrait which was hanging on the wall immediately behind the officer. "Mrs Fairchild is a beautiful woman, isn´t she? It´s a tragedy for someone so young to be left a widow and a single mum in the bargain," said the policeman, turning around to observe what had called the billionaire´s attention.

Lex felt a sudden pressure in his chest and a bout of breathlessness he hadn´t experienced since the days of his asthma attacks. Although the professional photograph didn´t show the Chloe he had known- there was something different about her- she had her bone structure and those unforgettable hazel green eyes he´d have recognised anywhere. On seeing the portrait Lex´s first thought was he must be dreaming- maybe projecting on the picture the hurt he had endured when he had failed to protect her and Gabe and started on a dark path which he´d sworn he´d never take. However, his eyes weren´t playing tricks on him- it had to be her; she was even wearing the St Christopher´s medal he had a Florentine artisan make especially for her.

It took every ounce of his Luthor-ingrained self-control and impassiveness to pretend in front of the detective that he hadn´t recognised the young woman who meant more than a mere acquaintance to him.

"She´s a charming young lady indeed," responded a poker-faced billionaire. "Were there any witnesses?" he asked, looking back at the detective.

"That´s what we´re trying to assess. I understand your need for answers, but I don´t think your presence here would help matters considering... "

"You´re right. I´ll meet you at the station. In any case, I´ll stay in town until my father´s body is released," complied Lex, handing him his business card and curving his urge to barge into the house and see with his own eyes he´d been lied to three years ago.

"If you´ll excuse me now, I´ve got to finish taking a statement. You´ll get news from me as soon as my report´s ready," the officer told him, shaking hands at the door. "Don´t let anyone in, Shaeffer," he told the rookie once Lex was out of earshot. "No one, you hear me?" he said gravely, thinking his first hunch hadn´t been wrong; there was something big behind these two deaths.

"Harris, I want a security detail on Mrs Fairchild 24-7," Lex snapped on his mobile. "Be discreet," he added, remembering how difficult it used to be to have Chloe under protective surveillance with her knack for detecting his security like a bloodhound. "I want a report on her moves twice a day," he finished, getting into his rented BMW convertible.

What was it that you wanted with her after so many years, dad? What could have driven a well-respected citizen and prominent member of the medical community to murder you and run the risk of losing his young family by going to prison?

Lex fastened his seatbelt and, leaning back against the headrest to relieve the tension in his neck, closed his eyes. He´d have to plan something to keep Lana away for a few days- maybe a trip to Amsterdam to see that Vermeer exhibition he´d read about. He needed time to process that Chloe wasn´t dead and to prepare himself for their first tête-à-tête now that the reason for her staying in the witness protection programme was gone. If need be, his impending nuptials would be put off... indefinitely.

Lex knew he´d never loved the brunette the way he did Chloe, but the former cheerleader was someone he could mould at will, and that fact had provided him with the illusion he was the one in control, when the truth was his world had begun to spiral down the day the safe house was blown up and he lost the two people who had become his compass.

"Jennifer, I need you to pull up a file," he ordered his assistant on the hands-free while he put the key in the ignition of his sports car. "173. Phone me when you´ve found it and give me the address. And, Jennifer... get Miss Lang a suite at the Hilton in Amsterdam and make all the arrangements to guarantee her VIP treatment at the Vermeer exhibition. Tell McCormack I won´t be needing him and that I want him to fly Miss Lang to The Netherlands. Yes, that´ll be all for now. No, that won´t be necessary, I´ll phone her myself," he concluded, taking off the earpiece and stopping at a red light on his way to the LuthorCorp´s condo.

METROPOLIS OUTSKIRTS- LATER THAT DAY

Lex pulled up his rented car opposite the old warehouse-turned-tenement and took the key off the ignition. The drive from Star City to his hometown had taken him just a couple of hours on the motorway and had helped him ease part of the tension that had gathered during his interview with the police and later on with the coroner.

There were still the CSI ballistic reports to complete and the evidence from the crime scene was being currently processed at the Star City Police Department Labs. However, the fact that there weren´t any eyewitnesses or that whoever might have happened to see or hear anything wasn´t willing to talk- no surprise at all, taking into account the identity of one of the victims- convinced Lex he himself would have to conduct a parallel investigation to discover what had happened in that garage and, more importantly, what Lionel had threatened Fairchild with.

Looking out of the passenger´s window the young CEO fastened his eyes on the second floor, where the lights were on. Jennifer had phoned him over two hours ago to give him the address he had requested, the address of a man he hadn´t set eyes on since the morning Lionel was acquitted when Chloe failed to appear in court.

Even though Lex knew what he had seen in that portrait, his inquisitive mind gave him no rest. He needed to talk to her, see her in the flesh to convince himself it wasn´t just a dream, but he couldn´t rush things and spoil it all. He had to plan their first meeting carefully. Meanwhile, he´d gather information on the late doctor and his young window.

Security in the tenement wasn´t particularly strong- a weakness which allowed the billionaire to slip in through the front door without alerting the unsuspecting tenant of his visit. Although he kept fit with an hour´s training in the gym every morning and had fencing and boxing practice three times a week, Lex didn´t feel like chasing an uncooperative contact down those rusty fire escape ladders. `Strike when the victim least expects it.´ That was his motto.

Climbing up two narrow staircases he arrived on the floor where he was sure he´d get some of the answers he was looking for. Walking along the poorly-lit corridor he arrived at apartment #23 and rang the bell, making sure to step aside so that he couldn´t be seen clearly through the peephole. The noise of a dead bolt and then a chain was heard before the door opened just a crack. Seeing the window of opportunity the billionaire put one of his feet in the gap to prevent the man from slamming the door on his face and, leaning his body heavily against it, he pushed with all his might barging into the apartment and grabbing the former FBI agent by the shirt.

"We´ve got to talk," gritted Lex, kicking the door shut and slamming Loder against the wall.

"I´m done with you Luthors. You cost me my job. What else do you want from me?" spat the forty-something resisting Lex´s tight grip.

"Your incompetence cost you your job. I just signed your sentence and I´ll do a lot more if you don´t answer my questions to my satisfaction," he responded, dragging him to a chair. "Chloe Sullivan"

"I´ll tell you what I told you three years ago. Both Miss Sullivan and her father died in the explosion. You saw the dental records yourself."

"We both know they were fake. What did he have on you?" asked Lex through clenched teeth.

"I don´t know what you´re talking about, Luthor. You´ll just have to accept..." he began replying only to be cut off by Lionel´s first born.

"Don´t try my patience, Loder. My father´s dead now. Whatever hold he had on you is gone. Now tell me... did he come to see you before he died?" said Lex tensely.

The former agent seemed to relax a little as the news of Lionel Luthor´s demise sunk in and he eyed the intimidating heir at close range.

"He paid me a visit six months ago," confessed the man.

"What did he want?"

"He was also interested in Miss Sullivan. I told him what I told you... but he was adamant. He forced me to... reveal the new identity the FBI had provided her with."

"And you gave it to him?" exploded Lex. "I was right to have you fired. And I´m starting to think I should have done a lot more."

"I did nothing wrong. After all she was dead. She was no longer part of the programme. What use was there in my keeping that information to myself?" shrugged the man.

"You have the blood of another innocent man in your hands. You drove my father to her again. You left her a widow and a small child fatherless. If only you hadn´t been so sloppy when you were supposed to be protecting Miss Sullivan and her dad."

"She´s... she´s... alive?" mumbled the man with an appalled look on his face.

"I commend you for your intuition, Loder. Not that my father would have told you anything but... do you happen to have any idea why he was suddenly interested in locating Miss Sullivan?" he asked ironically.

"She must have had something he wanted," replied the former agent, getting up from the chair and rubbing his neck.

"I surmised that much," he glared.

"I swear I don´t know what it was," responded the retired agent tightly.

"We both know the body that´s lying in Smallville´s cemetery isn´t Miss Sullivan´s. You´ll tell me now who took her away from the safe house after the explosion and kept her buried for three years."

He had had a suspicion of who the person behind the cover-up might be and Loder just confirmed it. He felt an inordinate rage at finding out he´d been kept in the dark for so long. Lex had never been one to put up well with betrayal; however, this one time he was willing to rein in his fury and wait for the man to explain his decision. Lex wanted to hate the traitor for having robbed him of happiness or, at least, of the relief of knowing Chloe was alive; and still... deep in his heart he knew he might have made a similar choice in his shoes.

Lex unlocked the car with his remote and, as he got in, dialled his office number on his mobile.

"Jennifer? I need you to compile a dossier on Mr and Mrs Philip Fairchild. I want to know everything there´s to know about them, starting with how they met, how long they went out before they got married, where they work, who their friends are and their... enemies. Leave no stone unturned. I´m particularly interested in knowing if the late doctor had any connections with LuthorCorp, any of my father´s ghost companies or old associates. Send the information to my laptop. I´ll be staying in Star City until the day after tomorrow. No, I´ll have him cremated. My mother´s memorial is not to be disturbed," he finished gravely, snapping the phone shut and screeching away into the night.


	3. Saying Goodbye, Saying Hello

**CHAPTER 3:** Saying Goodbye, Saying Hello

_STAR CITY´S CEMETERY_

It was drizzling persistently as Chloe´s husband was lowered into the ground and the numerous mourners paid their last respects. Phil had been an admired and beloved member of the hospital community and several dozen of his co-workers and medical colleagues were in attendance. Even Philip Fairchild Sr was present, despite the enmity that had ensued when his son had decided to leave the family´s clinic and work full-time at the public hospital.

Chloe felt the raindrops pitter-pattering on her black umbrella, blinked away a few tears and tightened her hold on baby Laura, who had fallen asleep in her arms. She turned her head to the right and pressed a soft kiss on the girl´s blond hair, closing her eyes and inhaling the soothing smell of baby cologne. It was at moments such as these when Chloe hated not knowing who she was. She would have given the world to have some family she could lean on now- a mother, a father, siblings and cousins. Although she had always felt an affective void she was unable to fill in, she had made a few friends in Star City. Susan- her amazing editor – was one of them and had come to her rescue when the house became a circus after the shooting, taking Laura away while the police and the reporters swarmed in and around the house. Chloe was thankful; the editor had even let them both stay over at her flat. However, now that the funeral was over and Chloe realised the finality of it all, the young woman decided it was up to her to take the reins of her life and be strong for Laura. They´d move out of the house and stay in a hotel until she could clean the small apartment above the coffee house.

Lex had parked his BMW in a lateral lane to be able to attend the funeral unnoticed. Looking at Chloe standing so composed in a classic and simple black dress and holding her child in her arms as she said her final goodbye to the man who had been her husband of three years, the young CEO couldn´t help but remember a similar rainy morning when he had been the one to bid farewell to her ashes for there had been nothing left to bury. Clark and Lois had blamed him three years ago for his inability to protect Chloe, and he had accepted their recrimination as fair; and now he blamed himself for having failed her then because his failure had brought death to her doorstep at present. If he had been more careful, Lionel Luthor would have never got closer to her and her loved ones again. If he had been more careful... there wouldn´t have been a Dr Fairchild in her life and the girl she was pressing to her bosom might have been his instead of her late husband´s.

As the last mourners left the cemetery the rain stopped and Chloe stayed behind for a while under the attentive look of Lex, who remained partially hidden by a tombstone. He wished he could be standing next to her to lend her the support she needed, but he had to console himself with the knowledge he was there for her if only at a distance.

Chloe felt Laura stir in her arms and clutch at the platinum medal which hung from the chain her mum was wearing around her neck. The blonde reporter had never been able to part with the exquisite piece- there was something special about it, something which made her feel protected somehow. The medal was the only physical link to her past and the engraving on its back- Fāta viam invenient (The Fates will find a way)- had occupied many hours of her thoughts more so now that she had a possible name to attach to those initials, Lionel Luthor. What role had the deceased played in her life before the explosion? Could it be they had had something going on? The man had been old enough to be her father. Chloe trembled and told herself she was letting her imagination run wild. Maybe the fact that the late billionaire shared the initials on her St Christopher´s medal was just a coincidence; there were thousands of people out there whose names began with L after all. No, the gift must have come from other hands, hands that hadn´t meant to hurt her.

"Mummy," whispered the girl drowsily, stretching a small arm over Chloe´s shoulder to point at Lex, "man."

"Yes, granddad´s waiting for us," responded Chloe, hoping the older man wouldn´t try to talk her into moving in with them because she really didn´t feel like arguing when her mind was already made up.

"No granddad," Laura shook her head and the young reporter turned around only to see a metallic blue BMW pull out and drive away.

_LUTHORCORP´S STAR CITY CONDO_

Lex entered the luxurious apartment he had in Star City for those rare occasions on which he stayed the night after some strenuous business meeting. Even though he hadn´t been there in months, Jennifer had taken care of hiring the cleaning service to make sure everything was spotless for his arrival. There was fresh fruit and vegetables in the fridge and a well-stocked bar, including his favourite bottled-water and imported vintage drink.

Divesting himself of the black jacket and loosening the matching silk tie to undo the first few buttons of his pristine white shirt, he threw the car keys in a crystal ashtray, which he had never used- he had always had a penchant for expensive alcoholic beverages and cordon bleu cuisine, but tobacco had never been amongst his vices.

Walking in a straight line to the wet bar, he removed the stopper of a decanter and poured himself a bourbon. He took a small sip to let his taste buds appreciate the bouquet and then, turned the stereo on to break the deafening silence. Out of the hidden loudspeakers came the haunting violins of Albinoni´s Adaggio, and Lex sat down in a comfortable armchair in front of the fire.

The skies were grey again, foreshadowing an imminent storm. A lightning-bolt illuminated the room, making the panes of the big sliding doors shake, reverberating in Lex in the same way as the first sight of Chloe in the cemetery had. Taking a swing of his snifter he replayed the scene he had witnessed that morning and couldn´t help but feel proud of the young woman´s dignity in the face of fatality.

The little girl´s hair was as golden as her mum´s and seeing them both together had revived in the billionaire his dreams of having the happy family which had never been his. He had tried to convince himself he could build such a family with Lana Lang; however, there was something important missing in that formula: Lana wasn´t Gabe Sullivan´s only daughter and Lex had never felt for the brunette the communion he had experienced with the feisty blond.

Chloe had always awoken his protective side not because she was a run-of-the-mill damsel-in-distress but rather because his feelings for her ran deep and his possessiveness claimed her as his. Being around her kept him on his toes- she was a challenge and Lex lived for them. What´s more, unlike Clark and the Kents, she didn´t see the world in black and white- she was in many ways his reflection but with the moral compass he lacked many a time.

Chloe Sullivan centred him and he needed her back in his life; the question was how he would go about getting her trust now that she knew the identity of the man who had brought destruction to her door. Knowing her as he did, he suspected she must have already started or was about to begin her own investigation, and it was only a matter of time before she discovered Lex´s existence. Moreover, the fact that Lionel´s heir was a fixture on the society and business pages of every major newspaper and economic magazine in America didn´t help his cause. Therefore, asking his assistant to create him a fake identity, family, educational background and the works would be a waste of time. Being hard to forget was an asset when he was intent on intimidating someone but a liability in this particular case.

Stretching an arm he picked up the book from the coffee table- it had arrived by courier before he left for the cemetery and he had only had time to read the back cover and the prologue. Smiling faintly he leant back and opened the volume at the first chapter.

_STAR CITY´S GRAND HOTEL_

After a revitalising shower and a light brunch in the privacy of their room, Chloe tucked Laura in for a well-deserved nap and slipped under the bedclothes to lie next to the girl. In the semi-darkness she went over the events of the past couple of days, trying to find any clues that might explain what had occurred in that garage. Phil had been unusually nervous and worried that morning as if he had known something bad was going to happen. She had perceived it and when he had denied anything was amiss, she´d chosen to let it slide. Along the way she had learnt there were things he´d never share with her and she respected that just as he respected her need to get away with Laura from time to time.

Phil had been there for her when she had no one to lean on during the difficult months after the explosion, and it had felt natural to say `yes´ when he proposed and yet, she had always sensed there was something more, as if she had seen in him someone she had known in her past. In a marriage there´s always one who loves the most and in theirs it had been Phil. In retrospect Chloe realised it had been in part her loneliness and the need to feel she belonged somewhere what had drawn her to him.

Although there had never been fireworks between the two, now that Phil was dead she regretted not having been able to return his feelings in equal measure because she knew he had loved her, and he had deserved a lot more than her gratitude. She had cried his death as much for the human being he had been as for her own incapacity to give him the one thing he had lavished on both her and Laura- unconditional love. Having no memories of her life before Phil, Chloe relied on her instincts; just as they had told her her first book would be a hit, a sixth sense told Chloe not only that she had loved someone deeply but that she had also been in Phil´s shoes once.

Combing Laura´s golden tresses with her fingers as she looked at the girl lying sound asleep, Chloe swore she´d discover what had led to her late husband´s death- she would take the weekend off for her and Laura and start her inquiries on Monday.

_THE JAVA NOOK- SATURDAY AFTERNOON_

Jerry was climbing down the stairs which took to the cosy apartment above the coffee house when a tall expensively-dressed man came in through the front door making the wind bell chime. Chloe´s right hand followed the bald patrician guy with his eyes until the customer decided on a small table at the back. The man was decisively a non-regular; not only had Jerry never seen him before, but the rich patron made a careful appreciative examination of the shop- a fact which identified him as a first-timer.

Chloe was proud of what she had done with the coffee house when she took over after the original owner decided to sell to retire to the mountains. Although the place had had a good clientele when Chloe bought it, it increased exponentially once she added a well-stocked library, a reading nook and the specialties baked by a Danish pattissière she´d met by chance one rainy afternoon she sought refuge at an obscure baker´s . Business was good, particularly over the weekends, and now the shop was also attracting the occasional voyeur interested in catching a glimpse of Dr Fairchild´s widow or the murder mystery aficionado intent on meeting the promising novelist Karen Leigh Callahan aka Karen Fairchild.

Lex sat down at the secluded table impressed by the relaxed and homely atmosphere. The place was classy- he hadn´t tasted anything yet but the smells were tantalising enough to make his demanding taste buds water; the coffee and pasties offered were definitely first-class.

"Good afternoon, sir," Jerry greeted Lex stopping by his table. Although the young man rarely waited on customers, there was something about this particular patron that called his attention. "Would you like to have a look at our menu or would you rather I recommended one of our specialties to you?"

"Thanks. I´ve already made my choice. I´ll have an espresso and... a piece of that appetising chocolate cake I saw on the top shelf of the display cabinet on my way in."

"Excellent choice, sir. The pattisière baptised that pie `Karen´ after our boss. It´s her own favourite and you won´t find it elsewhere," smiled the manager and, as if on cue, Chloe made her appearance carrying an empty storage cardboard box. "I´ll bring your order in a sec," he added, leaving the table to prep the espresso machine.

"Jerry, I´ve finished unpacking the china. Would you do me a favour? There´s a leak in the sink, and it seems to be getting bigger by the minute. Could you check it out and tell me what we´ll need to fix it? I wouldn´t like to wake up in the morning to find I´m on board the Titanic," Chloe asked Jerry as they crossed in the middle of the coffee shop.

"Sure. Jerry the handyman at your service, madam," he grinned, saluting her . "I´ll fill the order for the gentleman at the back and then I´ll see to your sink."

"Leave the gentleman to me, Jerry," she responded, shooting a sideway glance at Lex.

"If I haven´t come down in twenty-minutes, send for the lifeguards," the manager laughed at the bottom of the stairs.

"Any special requirements?" she cocked an eyebrow.

"No inflated lips or enhanced bosom," he said, stopping on the first step as Chloe fetched the chocolate cake and cut a piece to place it on a dessert plate.

"No Pamela Anderson then," she responded while grinding the coffee beans to fill the metal filter of the espresso machine.

"I can hear the dripping calling," he replied as he feigned to prick up his ears.

"Coward´s your surname, Jerry," she finished, adding a spoonful of whipped cream to the dessert and preparing the tray to carry the order to the back.

Lex, who had witnessed the playful banter between boss and employee, smiled as memories of his old verbal judo sessions with Chloe at The Beanery and The Talon came rushing to his mind. However, the smile disappeared to be replaced by trepidation as he saw her make her way to his table.

"Good afternoon," said Chloe warmly, laying a table mat in front of Lex to set down his order. "An espresso and a serving of chocolate cake," she added, raising her eyes to meet a pair of intense blue-grey orbs looking at her as if they could see right into her soul.

Time seemed to come to a standstill while they gazed at each other without uttering a word. Although he had read about her amnesia in the report, he felt a stab of pain the moment he saw no hint of recognition in her eyes- she was even more beautiful than he remembered. Motherhood had given maturity to her curves and the hazel green of her eyes was deeper and more alluring than ever; he read confusion in them and knew he should say something instead of staring like a lecher or an infatuated teenager. He wondered if others were looking at him now the way he and Chloe used to look at Clark when the farmboy was around Lana, but the billionaire couldn´t help it- he had spent too many years in the desert and she was an oasis amidst the chaos his life had become. He drank from those bottomless pools like a man who hasn´t had water in a long time, and his eyes traced the creamy complexion of her face, every memorised mole and the almost invisible scar that disappeared in her hairline to convince himself she wasn´t just a mirage.

Fairchild had done an admirable work with his plastic surgeon hands- one had to look really close to see the faint lines on her face and her neck. Lex had seen pictures of Chloe prior to her surgeries and knew her face was the part of her body least affected by the fire and the shards- her back... He cursed Lionel Luthor and the FBI to hell and back for what they had put her through.

Chloe saw an indefinable emotion flicker in the stranger´s eyes, and she felt herself tremble under his scorching gaze. She experienced a bout of self-loathe when her body started getting aroused, and she thanked the jacket she was wearing on top of her blouse for concealing the tell-tale signs. What the hell was wrong with her? She had buried Phil just two days ago and now a man- someone she had no recollection of- looked at her and her libido was suddenly in overdrive. She felt the urge to slap herself and to tell him... What? In other circumstances, she would have made use of her wit and sarcasm to put the stranger in his place, but this time everything felt really odd. He was devouring her with his eyes, stripping her down as if he were trying to see beyond each and every barrier she had erected and yet... she didn´t feel insulted- it was as if he were worshipping her, as if she meant the world to him.

Seconds elapsed and Chloe tried to find enough coordination to open her mouth and say something to break the spell; however, no words would come out. She wondered if he could hear the thumping of her heart as his eyes caressed the column of her neck and lay on the expanse of milky skin revealed by her scoop neck. Taking her shaky fingers to her quivering bosom, she clutched the St Christopher´s medal as a lifeline and heard his voice for the first time.

"Everything looks delightful. I´m sure I´ll never taste anything better," he managed to utter once he gained enough control over the commotion Chloe´s presence had caused in him. God! She was wearing that perfume of lilacs which he´d never stopped smelling when he closed his eyes in the solitude of his study. She was just an armful away, and he couldn´t touch her, couldn´t seal those lips with a kiss to find out if they still fit his so perfectly, if her mouth still tasted of java and mint.

"You´ll never have a chocolate cake that tastes like this one- that I can assure you," she responded slightly breathless, experiencing a sudden and inexplicable urge to cry as the sound of his velvety baritone reverberated in her and her feminine core clenched intimately. "Enjoy your coffee," she told him with as controlled a voice as she could muster, walking away from the table with her skin slightly on fire.

Lex looked at her receding back and impaled the fork in the spongy cake before dipping it into the whipped cream. Chloe might not remember him, but her body and soul did- he knew her well enough to recognise the signs; she had been aroused when she walked away from him and although he understood the guilt she must be feeling, a part of him was proud of the effect he still had on her.

"Hey, boss! My inspection´s finished and I´ve got a package for you," said Jerry, climbing down the stairs with Laura by the hand. "Here´s the Princess; just awoken from her nap."

"Hello, Laurie. Are you hungry?" responded Chloe with one of those smiles Lex remembered from her days at The Torch when a clueless Clark would inadvertently hurt her feelings and she would make an effort to mask what she was actually feeling.

"Is everything OK?" asked Jerry in a low voice, noticing her flushed cheeks.

"Yes. Why do you ask?" she replied, taking a comb to disentangle Laura´s golden tresses.

"Does he make you uncomfortable?" he asked Chloe while looking at Lex out of the corner of his eye. "He hasn´t taken his eyes off you since you came downstairs. If you want, I can..."

"Jerry," she cut him off," I know how to handle male attention. I wasn´t born yesterday, you know," she added under her breath." So... what´s the verdict?"

"Verdict?" frowned the manager.

"The sink, Jerry. Can it be fixed? Or will we have to stay at the hotel for an extra night, praying you find the main valve before my furniture starts to float?"

"Oh, that! The locknut needs to be tightened, but I´m afraid we haven´t got a wrench that´s big enough for its diameter. I can drive to K-Mart and see if they´ve got one," responded Jerry, rubbing his neck. "Unless you want me to cut the water supply and phone the plumber tomorrow."

"I want to be able to use the sink and take a shower now not in two months´ time," sighed Chloe as she tied the girl´s hair with a green ribbon.

"Excuse me, I couldn´t help but hear you´ve got a plumbing emergency," a clearly-enunciated voice interrupted their exchange and the comb slipped from Chloe´s shaky hands. "I´ve got a wrench in my toolbox."

"I wouldn´t have pegged you for a do-it-yourself kind of guy," she replied ironically, holding his gaze unflinchingly.

"And I wouldn´t have pegged you for the kind that passes judgement on a person so quickly," he retorted, taking his wallet to pay the bill at the counter.

"Touché," she cocked an eyebrow. "I´d really appreciate it if you could lend us that wrench."

"Let me go for it then. It´s in my trunk," he smirked, walking to the entrance door. "Keep the change. That cake´s worth every dime and more."

"Laurie, why don´t you go and fetch your favourite storybook while I fix you some hot cocoa and a plate of those coconut cookies you like so much," Chloe told her daughter when the door closed.

By the time the billionaire came back she had brewed herself a strong black coffee with her favourite beans and was boiling some milk to fix Laura her hot chocolate.

"I´m back with the wrench," Lex said to Chloe´s back and saw her jump.

"Shoot!" she exclaimed when she spilt some hot milk and burnt a couple of fingers.

"I´m sorry. It wasn´t my intention to startle you," he apologised. "Have you hurt yourself?"

"Don´t worry. There´s no permanent damage. Do you always walk so stealthily?" she asked him, turning around and placing her daughter´s meal on her Winnie-the-Pooh´s tray.

"Only when I´m pursuing an elusive target and I´m afraid it´ll dart away," he responded wryly.

"We aren´t in the forest and I´m no hunter´s game or trophy," Chloe told him gravely.

"I would never mistake you for one," he replied, looking her straight in the eye.

"Oh, good! You´re back. That damn pipe´s starting to leak like the Niagara Falls," exclaimed Jerry, taking the tool from Lex´s outstretched arm.

"Would you like another espresso? It´s on the house," Chloe offered the young CEO, wondering what this man had that made her body want him and her tongue seek to duel with him.

"You can make free use of my wrench but, if you´re determined to pay for it, I´m ready to take whatever you´re willing to give. An espresso sounds wonderful," he said with his characteristic poker face.

Damn the man! Why was it that everything he said sounded like innuendo to her ears? It was so wrong; she was in mourning for God´s sake!

Laura found her favourite volume on the shelf were they kept the children´s books, and she leafed through it until she got to a particular illustration. Meanwhile, Lex leant back in his seat as Chloe prepared the espresso machine and the last couple of patrons said their goodbyes at the door. A couple of minutes later, he felt a tug at his trousers and looked down to meet a pair of intelligent eyes.

Stretching her tiny arm Laura laid her book on the table and pushed it towards Lex. "Laura wants you to read," she told the billionaire.

"The Jungle Book," he said, looking at the book cover and smiling at the girl. "Laura´s a beautiful name. How old are you?" he added.

The girl put up two fingers just as Chloe got to the table to serve Lex his coffee.

"Sweetie, don´t disturb the gentleman," the blond reporter chided her daughter.

"She doesn´t disturb me. Laura and I were talking, weren´t we?" he responded, boring his eyes into the kid.

"Man," said the child, pointing at Lex and raising her eyes to meet her mum´s.

"Yes, that´s what I said. Gentleman," Chloe corrected her.

"No, no gen´man," the girl shook her head." Man," she insisted, recognising in Lex the man she had spotted at the cemetery.

"It seems I haven´t made much of an impression on either mother or daughter," he cocked an eyebrow.

"Man´s going to read Laura," the two-year-old told Chloe once again.

"She likes you. That´s her favourite book and... the only person she´s ever asked to read to her... was my husband," Chloe confessed with a lump in her throat.

"I´ll be honoured to read her the story then," replied the billionaire with the ghost of a smile after a pregnant silence.

"Are you sure you don´t mind? I suppose you must have other places to be," she frowned.

"If you don´t want me to stay, just say the word and I´ll leave," he said gravely.

"No, no, it´s not that. I just thought... you don´t look like someone who´d have the time to..." mumbled Chloe, hating herself for being unusually inarticulate.

"Read to a child?" he completed her thought. "It´s Saturday and I haven´t got a boss looking over my shoulder."

"All right. I´ll bring you your cocoa and more cookies, Laura. Let´s sit you on the chair, first," smiled the young widow as she lifted the child and sat her next to Lex.

"Do the voices," the girl told him, kneeling down on the chair and placing a tiny hand on his forearm for leverage as she got closer to be able to see the pictures while he read.

Lex rested his eyes on the golden hair and studied the girl who had dared not only boss him around but also invade his private space and get away with it. That a child would approach him so innocently when he was so unlike the Clark Kents of this world baffled him, and the fact that child was Chloe´s daughter overwhelmed him.

Chloe observed Lex from the counter and wondered what had possessed her to break every sensible mum´s golden rule; the handsome man sitting with her baby was a virtual stranger who could be a paedophile for all she knew and yet... something told her she could trust him. The scene was really incongruous... a well-off businessman, wearing a pair of shoes worth more than she earned with the café in a month- was reading her two-year-old a story, doing voices and looking unflappable as the small child´s hand, sticky with sugar, grabbed his 150-dollar dress shirt.

"Laurie, here´s your chocolate," said Chloe, giving the girl her favourite sippy-glass.

"I see a pattern here," smirked Lex."Is that Winnie-the-Pooh?" he asked pointing at the Disney illustration on the glass.

"Pooh," beamed Laura, and the billionaire thought that was what Chloe must have looked like when she was a tiny tot- except for her eyes, which were a different colour but as mesmerising as her mum´s.

"I should have never let Phil buy her that DVD. Now she´s got that bear on her sheets, on her nightgown, on her comforter. She´s even got Winnie-the-Pooh-shaped soap, a Winnie-the-Pooh lamp..." the blonde laughed, combing her daughter´s hair with her fingers.

"Does obsessiveness run in the family?" asked Lex, cocking an eyebrow and trying not to betray how much the sound of her laugh had affected him.

"I guess I´m a tad obsessive," confessed Gabe´s daughter.

`And relentless and intrepid and loyal and giving... and utterly selfless,´ added Lex to himself.

"Do you like reading murder mysteries?" asked Chloe when her eyes fell on the novel he´d left face down on the table.

"My mother used to have a leather-bound collection of Conan Doyle´s complete works issued by this very same publishing house. I read them as a child and then Poe, of course," he responded, wondering what direction the conversation would take now.

"Poe? I hope you didn´t read Poe at such a tender age," she frowned.

"My father had me read The Art of War at a tender age. I´d have had Poe any day of the week," he said ironically.

"What kind of a father would give that sort of literature to a child?" she replied disapprovingly.

"The kind who sees the world as a battlefield and considers people mere pawns to achieve his ends irrespective of the means. The kind to whom love and compassion are signs of weakness," he stated grimly.

"That´s a monster not a father," she said with disgust.

"That´s the kind of father I had," he replied with a guarded look. "Fortunately, not all fathers are like him," he added with a lump in his throat as he remembered the late Jonathan and Gabe. He had admired the former, despite the older man´s inability to see beyond Lex´s name, and he had loved and respected the latter.

"It isn´t written we´ll be like our own parents," she said emotionally before veering the conversation. "What do you think of this novel? Is it any good?" she asked Lex, wondering if his stopping by had been either a coincidence or a planned visit.

"It´s a promising first novel. I admire the writer a lot," he responded with a conspiratorial grin.

"Is that why you came here?"

"I wanted to see you; and I was told you serve the best coffee in town."

"The plates on your car are from Metropolis. Did you drive all the way just to meet me?"

"Star City isn´t that far from Metropolis. I know of fans that have travelled longer distances to see their favourite writers or stars," he said helping a tired Laura get down the chair.

"I suppose you´re right. Although you don´t look like the regular fanboy, if you know what I mean."

"Does that mean you won´t autograph my copy?"

"That´d make me a lousy businessperson. Who should I dedicate it to?" she asked him, taking a pen out of her pocket.

"To Alexander."

"OK. Here I am at last. Problem solved, boss," Jerry interrupted them as he dried his wet hands with a tea towel. "Mr Saviour, here´s your tool," he added, handing the wrench back to Lex and then picking Laura up to wash her face and hands.

"I´ve been called many things in my life, but never a saviour."

"Well, you´ve been our saviour this evening. If it weren´t for you, Laurie and I would be staying in a hotel room for another night."

"I´m pleased to have been of assistance, "said the billionaire." Thanks for the espresso and for this," he told her, picking up his coat and the autographed book. "Say goodbye to Laura on my behalf; she´s a very interesting young person."

"She´s special in many ways," conceded Chloe with a wistful look.

"She must be; she´s your daughter," he replied, boring his intense blue-grey eyes into her.

"Your being here this afternoon isn´t just a coincidence, is it?" she asked with a hammering heart.

"Do you believe in fate?" he asked slipping one of his hands in his pocket.

"Fate as in kismet? As `I felt an invisible force that dragged me to this coffee house or to enter a bookstore and buy this particular book.´? You don´t seem a man who would do anything on impulse or who would let anyone or anything dictate to him what to do with his life," she responded, making an effort to hold his gaze and hide how much his proximity was affecting her.

"You can fight fate as much as you want, but it always finds a way," he told her, applauding her inwardly for her unchanged knack for reading people, for reading him.

"Fāta viam invenient," murmured Chloe as she clutched her St Christopher´s medal and eyed him speculatively.

"That´s an exquisite piece you´re wearing; St Christopher, Patron Saint of Travellers. The only church on this continent devoted to him is located in Montreal," he stated resting his eyes on the Florentine jewel and wondering if Chloe´s agile mind had already put two and two together.

Chloe´s head was spinning and her stomach was tied up in knots. Could this attractive and imposing young man- this man who made her feel things she shouldn´t be feeling- be the same one who had given her the platinum medal she hadn´t taken off in almost three years? Were LL his initials? He had told her Alexander was his first name- Xander, Alex... or Lex. He could be, some sixth sense told her he was. However, that´d mean he... Relief and agony was just a question away. Dared she ask it? She wasn´t ready, not if his answer were affirmative. Although she didn't know many things about herself and her past, there was one thing she had always known. She wondered now if he knew and if that was the reason for his being here.

"I´ll store that piece of information for my next visit to Canada," she said with a smile, hoping it disguised the tumult inside of her. "Are you a Catholic?"

"My mother was. She loved telling me about the Church´s old saints. When I turned eleven she bought me a box made out of a piece of St George´s armour at a Kasban in Morocco. That and this Napoleon franc watch are the only things I´ve got left of her," he confessed, pulling up his cuff.

"St George and the dragon. She knew your father well, didn´t she?" she asked him with an ironical smile. "How come you were baptised Alexander and not given some Biblical name?"

"New Testament. Joseph. That´s my middle name," replied the billionaire with a lopsided grin. `Smooth, Chloe. You haven´t lost your touch.´

"Well, Alexander Joseph, thanks for stopping by. You´re welcome to come back on your next business trip to Star City," she beamed, walking him to the door as she got ready to close for the day.

"I sure will. Until we meet a

gain," he told her, stepping out onto the pavement and unlocking his BMW with the remote.

"Goodbye and thanks again for the wrench," she shouted, locking the front door and flipping the notice to "Closed".

"The ball´s in your court now, Chloe. Festīnā lentē. Make haste slowly," he murmured, firing the engine and pulling out as a faint perfume of lilacs accompanied him all the way to Metropolis.


	4. Memories

**CHAPTER 4:** Memories

It was eleven o´clock when Chloe finished organising the kitchen cabinets after sharing dinner with Laura and putting her to bed. The blonde´s inquisitive mind was in a whirl and she cursed the lack of Wi-Fi signal in the coffee house- not only was it too late to go hunting for another café to see if she could get lucky, she wasn´t willing to drag a sleepy Laura along with her considering the recent crime wave which had hit Star City. Her research would have to wait until the damn signal came back or she could drive somewhere it worked.

Divesting herself of her sweaty clothes she stepped into the shower stall and opened both taps till the water reached the ideal temperature. As she lathered her body and let the water run down her coiled muscles, she closed her eyes and remembered the first few minutes of her encounter with the stranger she now knew as Alexander Joseph. She could still feel the heat of his eyes on her now and recall that fleeting look of something which had seemed a lot like devotion. Even though she had seen that very same look in Phil´s eyes on several occasions- while her husband´s had caused pain in her for not being able to give him all that he wanted from her, Alexander´s reached parts of her soul she had kept untouchable and parts of her body which had remained anaesthetised for almost three years.

Rinsing the foam off her full breasts she heard a moan escape her lips as her hands accidentally grazed the pebbled peaks and the caress echoed in her female core. Tears welled up in her eyes as passion and guilt overtook her and her body slid down to the tiled floor amidst racking sobs. "I´m so sorry, Phil," she hiccupped, lying in foetal position.

Lex was stretched out on his four-poster bed at the penthouse in Metropolis going over the events of the afternoon, trying to recall every word, every look, every smile, every breath of Chloe´s, and telling himself once again he´d been an utter fool to think Lana would ever have filled the void the `death´ of Gabe´s daughter had left in his life.

Lionel had known of Lex´s weakness for Chloe, smelt his deep feelings for her like the bloodhound the old bastard was. Luthor Sr had never forgiven his first-born´s betrayal and had hit where he knew it´d hurt the most. Fate had played against Lex´s father sparing Chloe´s life, but had dealt him a good hand again when Clark´s high-school friend was signed by Sleuth- the publishing house Lionel had bought on a whim in memory of his late wife and her passion for detective stories. The old devil had recognised the blonde spitfire´s prose and even seen a few parallelisms between the storyline of her first novel and some of his old sins in Suicide Slums. Chloe had lost her memory and, still, it appeared some of the things which she had dug up on Lionel prior to the trial were- unbeknownst to her- branded in her brain.

Was it because his father had felt threatened by Chloe´s repressed memories that he had had her followed and photographed? Why had he approached Fairchild and not her? What was the something she had that he had wanted so desperately? So far Lex had got some valuable clues, but they weren´t enough to complete the puzzle.

Patience and careful planning had always been two of his most treasured assets; however, time was against him on this occasion. Despite the fact he had managed to pressure the media to keep all photos of the young widow out of the news when Lionel Luthor´s death made it to the front page, he didn´t delude himself- sooner or later Chloe´s involvement would leak and he would have to deal not just with his own chaotic personal life but with Clark and Lois´ accusations.

After her bout of crying, Chloe stepped out of the shower, dried and changed into her nightdress. She slipped under the bedcovers and fell asleep almost immediately; however, it wasn´t a restful night and her subconscious was more alert than ever, making her dreams troubled and confusing.

"_We should stop this, Lex," she said half-heartily as the masculine hand which had unbuttoned her blouse unclasped the front fastening of her bra and his mouth peppered kisses on the column of her neck._

"_Say it like you mean it," he whispered in her ear; and she could hear the smile in his voice as he cupped one milky breast in his hand and felt her tremble in his arms._

"_It´s no use. You know damn well I can´t, but we´re prolonging the inevitable," she choked, feeling the tears well up in her eyes._

"_God, don´t cry," he cursed when his lips tasted the salty dampness that rolled down her cheeks."Chloe," he entreated her warmly," open your eyes and look at me."_

"_It hurts. I thought nothing would hurt as much as his choosing her over me. I was wrong... This hurts a hundred times more," she sobbed, twisting in his arms, urging him to let her go. " I can´t do this anymore, Lex. It´s like dying a little bit every time we´re together, knowing there´s no future in this."_

"_We´ll find a way," he told her gravely, tightening his hold on her._

"_There´s no way, Lex We´re both realists. We´ve known it from the very beginning, from the very moment I came to you and accepted your help... It was the trial and then the Witness Protection Program for me and dad. We simply chose to deceive ourselves for a little while."_

"_He won´t live for ever," he responded, refusing to accept what he knew was the truth. "Things happen when one is in prison."_

"_Don´t say that, Lex, " she told him in an anguished tone." Don´t you dare think of that. He´s not worth it; he´s not worth your losing your soul over him," she added passionately._

"_Why do all the best things in my life have to end this way?" he asked in a tormented voice._

"_I wish things were different. I didn´t know... If I had known what I do now, we would have been spared all of this," she said regretfully._

"_What´s done is done now, Chloe. We´ll never know what might have happened if I had acted upon my feelings sooner, or if you hadn´t entered that bargain with dad. All that´s irrelevant now," he stated, pressing a kiss on Chloe´s temple._

"_Lex, let me go. Let´s say goodbye now," she begged him when she felt her body was starting to react to his breath so near her mouth and his hands on her back bringing her closer." Please," she sobbed._

"_Promise me something and I´ll let you go," he told her in a raspy voice after brushing her lips with his. "Promise me you´ll come to the mansion one last time before you leave..."_

"_Lex..." she began only to be cut off by the billionaire._

"_Promise, Chloe," he insisted, cupping her face in both hands._

"_This is madness," she murmured, letting him kiss her one last time before running out of the mansion in tears._

Chloe woke up to find her face covered in tears and her left hand gripping her pillow tightly. Was it all a dream, a projection of the feelings and emotions Alexander had provoked in her? Or had the afternoon encounter stirred a repressed memory? Had she been a witness in a trial against Alexander´s father? Was the explosion connected in some way? Was her real name Chloe and Karen just the one provided by the government when she entered the Witness Protection Program? She had always felt she hadn´t been born a Karen. The dream- which she was inclined to believe was a recollection of an actual event- would explain many things, including the instant attraction towards the handsome stranger and the way she responded to his proximity.

Getting out of bed noiselessly so as not to rouse Laura, who was sound asleep in the room across from hers, Chloe splashed water on her face and then walked to the open window to let the fresh air cool down her feverish skin. She was too overwhelmed to go back to bed and catch any sleep; she´d sit on the ledge for a short while and then try the WI-FI signal again.

"_You came," sighed Lex, feeling his tense muscles relax as he walked around his mahogany desk to meet her half way._

"_Against my better judgement. I left dad packing and told him I had some last minute errand to run. I haven´t got much time," she told him, darting her eyes around the room and avoiding looking at Lex to keep her resolve._

"_This won´t take long. I´ve got something for you," he told her ill-at-ease, making a supreme effort to respect her wishes and not touch her. _

"_Lex," she murmured, laying her eyes on his back as he stood in front of the bookcase and pressed a button to open a hidden compartment._

"_It isn´t much, but it´s the only thing I could think of that you wouldn´t be averse to wearing," he explained, grabbing a black velvet case, which he opened in front of Chloe´s eyes. "If I had had my way, I would have given you something more meaningful and binding," he added, taking the jewel from its bed. "It´s St Christopher- Patron Saint of Travellers. He will protect you on this journey. I´ve had it made specially for you by a Florentine artisan that used to design jewels for my mum."_

_Chloe looked at the simple and exquisite platinum piece with glassy eyes. "Lex, " she said in a raspy voice, " it´s beautiful. I´ve never seen anything like it in my life, but I..."_

"_I´ve had it engraved with something for you to remember me, to remember us and that this isn´t over- it´s just got an inscription and my initials," he rushed to say not giving her the chance to reject it._

"_Fāta viam invenient?" Chloe read the engraving when he turned over the medal._

"_The Fates will find a way," he translated for her benefit._

"_I haven´t got you anything," she swallowed, feeling the pricking of tears behind her eyelids._

"_You´re here; that´s all I wanted- to see you one last time before you left," he said throatily._

"_Would you help me fasten it around my neck?" she requested, taking the chain from his hands and trying to make the clasp work with her shaky fingers._

"_Turn around," he said warmly before his long fingers grazed hers to work on the clasp. "There it is," he added, letting go off the chain and feeling the electricity course through his body as his hand accidentally brushed her nape. Chloe´s breath hitched and goose pimples broke out on her skin. Lex´s presence so close behind her was wrecking havoc on her and her body was reacting to him, hungry for his touch after a week of trying so hard to put a distance between them._

_Lex heard the deepening of Chloe´s breath as she unconsciously swayed towards his warmth, torturing him with her delicate perfume of lilacs and the proximity of her curvy bottom, which was almost flush with his arousal._

"_Chloe," he whispered as he wrapped one arm around her waist to bring her closer and brushed her pulse with his lips, inhaling the sweet scent behind her ear._

_The blonde reporter closed her eyes, savouring the warmth of his lips on her skin and the music of his husky baritone saying her name close to her ear. She could feel his arousal pressed against her buttocks as his arm embraced her possessively, seeking to merge her body with his. Meanwhile, his right hand started undoing the first few buttons of her blouse and Chloe sensed her over-sensitive breasts get fuller awaiting his caress._

_Lex heard her moan as his fingers turned her rosy nipples into two tight buds through the feminine lace of her ebony-coloured bra, and he untucked her blouse out of her trousers. It was time she ran away- she´d promised herself it wouldn´t happen again because she wasn´t that strong and doubted she would be prepared to handle Lex if his cool control over his own feelings finally slipped._

"_Lex," she sighed when he undid the button of her trousers and started to unzip it."Lex," she insisted, placing her hand on top of his as he lowered the zip. "This isn´t a good idea."_

"_I love you, Chloe," he responded, making her knees wobble when she heard the actual words coming out of his mouth for the first time._

"_It´s not fair," she choked, trying to disengage herself from his arms." You can´t say that to me just now," she sobbed, extricating herself from Lex´s embrace._

"_Why not? It´s the truth. What did you think all this was about? Me trying to get you to pay me for helping you get out of this mess? I don´t go about saying these words to get into anyone´s pants," he exploded hurt by her reaction._

"_God, Lex!" she said with glassy eyes when she saw him close up. "I didn´t mean it that way. I know these words have never come easy to you. It´s just that... one thing is to think the other person feels that way for you and another´s to actually hear the words spoken. It seems I´ve been waiting for ever to hear them, and now that I did... I have to walk out on you. I´ve finally found someone that loves me for whom I am, someone I also happen to love, and I have to give him up," she told him with anguish in her voice, crossing her arms in front of her to hide her arousal._

_Lex looked at her two armfuls away- her face flushed and her heart beating fast, as was evident by the quick rise and fall of her creamy breasts. God, how much he loved her!_

"_I won´t give you up," stated the young billionaire as a petulant child who´s denied something he wants._

"_It´s out of our control, Lex," she shook her head._

"_I need you, Chloe. I need you in my life. Only if I see this as a small bump on the road until we can be together again, I´ll be able to keep my north. You centre me," he confessed passionately, getting closer to her._

"_You´re a good man. The darkness that´s lurking in the corners of your soul won´t win if you don´t let it. I don´t know if I´m up to the task you´re expecting me to fulfil; I doubt anyone would ever be. I´m not perfect, Lex."_

"_I´ve never said you were. God, you´d be boring if you were! You´re right in that everyone´s the maker of his own destiny and accountable for his own choices. I´m not expecting you to be my saviour. I´m simply saying that you make me want to be better, to be worthy."_

"_You are worthy, Lex," she replied huskily when he stopped in front of her. "I wished I had your father in this room so I could choke him with my bare hands for making you believe this nonsense," she added in a voice laced with venom. " I love all of you, Lex. You don´t need to pretend with me that you´re some invincible macho. I love strong confident Lex as much as vulnerable and insecure Lex. I love your light and your darkness."_

"_I´m not insecure," he retorted, veiling his eyes for her not to see how deeply her words had touched him._

"_The hell you are not," she contradicted him with the ghost of a smile, stretching out an arm to touch his cheek only to see him recoil and frown at her. "Oh, you´re such a ninny!" she laughed, mocking him." Hey! What are you doing?" she exclaimed when he grabbed one of her hands and pulled her towards him._

"_I´m showing you what an insecure ninny I am," he replied in a velvety voice before crushing her lips in a hungry demanding kiss._

_Chloe kicked herself for egging him on. She had known how the banter would end and did exactly what she had sworn she wouldn´t do. Her subconscious had betrayed her and now she could feel her body capitulating. Lex teased her lips with the tip of his tongue while his hands slipped down her back and then under her lacy briefs to grip her buttocks. As soon as the petite blonde´s crotch was brought closer to him, she opened her mouth and granted him access, meeting his tongue stroke for stroke. It didn´t take long for her to experience the urge to unbutton Lex´s expensive blue dress shirt, which she did with anxious fingers, earning a playful bite on her neck._

_Once she´d untucked his shirt and started to undo his belt, she slipped out of her trousers and let the billionaire lift her up until her legs were securely wrapped around his hips. At this moment he paused and locked his stormy blue-grey eyes with hers. Seeing him hesitate for a second she leant forward and initiated another kiss working on his zip to put him in a similar state of undress._

_They had never made love in his study; Lex had always preferred his four-poster, where there was more room to manoeuvre, and she had felt special because he´d never let any of the previous women in his life enjoy that privilege. Being loved in that bed, being granted access to his room and his private space- a space he considered sacred- showed her that she meant a lot more to him than just a notch on his belt; but today she couldn´t handle that._

"_Wait," he stopped her when her caresses became more daring and their kisses more heated._

"_What´s wrong? I´m too far gone to stop this now," she told him breathlessly._

"_We can go to my bedroom. It´s more comfortable there," he told her, brushing a couple of blond hairs off her face._

"_Your sofa looks cosy," she said with a naughty smile." Or maybe your desk," she suggested, biting his lower lip before sliding down his body._

"_Chloe, this isn´t you," he snapped, grabbing the young woman by her upper arms when she pushed him towards his desk and the kisses she was scattering on his torso reached the waistband of his underwear making it clear to him what her intention was._

"_What do you mean this isn´t me?" she asked him with firing green eyes._

"_What are you trying to do?" he queried, boring his blue-grey eyes into her._

"_Stop looking at me that way," she shouted, turning her gaze away._

"_Like what?" he asked seriously, making her turn to face him._

"_Like that. Like I mean the world to you. Like you won´t survive without me."_

"_I´ve never felt this way before. Forgive me if I´ve stopped being the cold insensitive bastard I am for a while," he bristled, trying to get away from Chloe._

"_I´m sorry. I didn´t mean to hurt you," she sobbed." I´m such a mess," she clung to him._

"_Chloe," he murmured," this will be our last time together for a while. I want for it to be special, to be everything you deserve- the desk isn´t meant for that."_

"_I told my dad I´d be back for dinner," she responded, wiping away a couple of tears._

"_You can use the phone upstairs to let him know you´ll be home for lunch. He´s not stupid, Chloe. He´s known all the while where you are."_

_And she stayed and they talked or just lay in silence with his arms wrapped tightly around her as he spooned her from behind. None of them catching any sleep, too afraid of being robbed of a minute together. And it was at six o´clock, when the sun started to filter through the bedroom curtains that Lex made her his one last time with the silent promise to wait for fate to bring them back together again._

The grandfather clock in Lex´s anteroom struck five when he got out of bed aroused as he hadn´t been in months and with a splitting headache. He hadn´t dreamt about their last night together in a long time and never in such detail, thought Lex as he had a quick cold shower and then opened the cabinet for some aspirin.

He popped a couple of pills in his mouth and downed them with some water, wondering how much of his headache was due to his dream and how much to Lana´s impending arrival. Although he´d already planned what to say and his decision to end their relationship was final, he dreaded having to waste time which could be put to better use to get Chloe back.

Putting the aspirin back on the medicine shelf, his attention was suddenly attracted by an orange plastic container. He grabbed it and looked at its label. He had had it filled just a fortnight ago; it was a long shot, but he had always trusted his instincts. He´d check the world stock markets, have breakfast and then phone Jennifer.


	5. The Past is Never Left Behind

A/N: Here's a new chapter. By the way, I invite you to check out a Chlex one-shot inspired on last week's episode (Warrior) which I posted a few days ago. It's called "Undercover Warrior" and you can find it in my profile.

**CHAPTER 5:** The Past is Never Left Behind

STAR CITY

Chloe had spent six hours researching Lionel Luthor on the internet, focusing on the period around 2002-2003 in particular, when she came across a series of video files connected with the murder trial. By that time she already knew her real name was Chloe Sullivan and that she had been the editor of a high school newspaper called The Torch. It had just taken her a few minutes to Google herself using the surname Luthor and the information she had got thanks to her dreams- the name Alexander had called her, the high school newspaper and the crow in the poster. Then she´d proceeded to track her relationship with the billionaires from the time LuthorCorp provided The Torch with new hardware to the day her name appeared in The Daily Planet as a witness for the prosecution in the highly-publicised trial of Lionel Luthor.

The videos showed the handsome billionaire who had made her heart leap just a few hours ago descending the stairs of Metropolis Courthouse after his father´s acquittal. Chloe downloaded the imbedded files and transformed them into another format to improve their quality. She played them over and over again, trying to read Lex beyond his apparent indifference and the cold façade he used in front of the microphones as he stood on the stairs informing the reporters of the verdict while they asked him about the star witness who had failed to appear. Despite her efforts, she could see no trace of the hot-blooded man she had remembered in her dreams or the affectionate individual who had read Laura a story. It was evident his public persona was an evolved version of the dangerous man she´d glimpsed when he talked about what might happen to his father in prison.

After fixing breakfast for both her and Laura, she had a quick shower and kept surfing the net while her daughter coloured with some crayons. Having determined her relationship with both Luthors the young widow began a thorough investigation on the son to find out what kind of person and businessman he was. His philanthropic projects were as impressive as the number of articles exposing the allegedly morally questionable LuthorCorp-funded scientific endeavours. Although Lex, as every major newspaper called him, seemed to have become a tycoon as ruthless as his old man, there were several things in his past which clearly differentiated him from Lionel Luthor- deeds which made him appear more humane and not utterly selfish. Chloe had never been blind to people´s flaws- she had never been one to see the world through rose-coloured glasses- and, yet, something deep inside her told her Alexander Joseph Luthor couldn´t be the monster his dad had been. Beyond the physical and the intellectual attraction that had clearly existed between the bald billionaire and her, she must have seen something special in him on the spiritual level, something which her soul recognised as worthy to be loved.

Corroborating the identity of the patrician gentleman had been a source of conflicting emotions for Chloe. On the one hand, it meant she´d finally found out who the someone that had left an affective void in her was. On the other hand, it entailed their past together might have been the cause of Phil´s death. However, what worried her the most was the uncertainty of not knowing if Alexander had come back to her life for the same reason his father had and what she´d do if that were the case.

METROPOLIS

Lex parked his silver Porsche in the underground garage of the exclusive Metropolis clinic he had visited but a fortnight ago. Jennifer had sent him the information he had asked her for and now, he was about to confront Dr Williamson with it and, hopefully, prove the reason for Lionel´s sudden interest in Chloe.

"Good morning, Mr Luthor," Williamson´s secretary greeted him." How can I help you?"

"I´m here to see Dr Williamson," he responded with a polite smile.

"We weren´t expecting you this morning. The doctor has an operation scheduled to start at 11.30 a.m. I can give you an appointment for Wednesday at 9 a.m.," she told him, consulting the free slots in the diary.

"I´m afraid that won´t do. I have to see the doctor today to discuss a very delicate matter," he replied with a no-nonsense attitude."I´m sure he has some free slots for emergencies."

"I suppose I could squeeze you in," the bespectacled brunette agreed, leaving the desk."I´ll be back in a minute," she smiled, knocking on the office door.

"Thanks," he smirked, sitting down in an armchair to wait for Williamson.

"The doctor will see you now, Mr Luthor," said the secretary, coming out of the office.

Lex grabbed the Armani overcoat from the armchair next to his and walked gracefully into Williamson´s surgery.

"Alexander," the grey-haired man greeted him with a handshake."I was surprised when my secretary told me you wanted to see me," he added, sitting down on his swivel chair. "Is everything OK?" he frowned.

"You tell me, doctor," Lex said smoothly as he pushed a purple folder towards the physician.

"Where did you get this? They´re confidential records," the sixty-year-old man asked tightly.

"You should improve your firewall, doctor. The question here isn´t how I got them but what I found out you´ve been hiding from me. Tell me, Doctor, did my father come to see you six months ago?" Lex replied tersely.

"Lex..." began the doctor only to be cut off by the billionaire.

"You´d better tell me the truth. I wasted enough time as it is," said the young CEO threateningly.

"Your father came to see me with some medical records he wanted me to examine. He didn´t tell me who they belonged to- just that he needed a second opinion. I told him I´d rather see the patient myself and start from scratch. He told me that was impracticable and that I´d have to make do with the records he´d given me. After all, it wouldn´t be the first time I saw results such as those. He just needed confirmation."

"And you gave it to him?"

"I told him there was a simpler and faster way to get to know what he wanted, but he said he couldn´t run the risk if he happened to be wrong. Cases such as the one he presented me with are very rare, as you know very well, Alexander. I told him there was a chance in ten million to be wrong. Your father gave me a telephone number to contact a doctor in Star City."

"Fairchild?"

"No, Dr Ferguson. Lionel told me to offer him the cocktail and asked me to keep the name Luthor and LuthorCorp out of it. He made me invent some story about there being a national record of people affected by the same syndrome and a project to help them."

"Have you ever seen the other person on the list behind my back?"

"No. Is she OK?"

"She was perfectly healthy when I saw her last."

"I´m sorry, Lex. You know what your father was like. I had made some very unwise investments and was up to my neck. I didn´t want Susan to find out and your father used that as leverage. I sincerely thought this person was in some way connected to your dad and that he wanted to keep her a secret."

"Oh, you were right about that. He didn´t want me to find out about her. I´m 100% sure he was planning to use her in some way to get the control of LuthorCorp back," said Lex, clenching his fists at the thought of Lionel ever getting close to someone so precious to him.

TWO DAYS LATER

CHLOE´S APARTMENT ABOVE THE COFFEE HOUSE- STAR CITY

Chloe was working on the shop´s bookkeeping while sipping a big mug of frothy coffee when there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" she spoke up, raising her eyes to the entrance.

"There´s a phone call for you, boss," answered Jerry´s muffled voice.

"Did they give you a name?" she asked, leaving the sofa and opening the door just a crack.

"Someone from Sleuth. Should I tell him you´ll call him back?"

"No, it´s all right. I´ll answer it," she told him, shutting the door firmly behind her and walking towards the stairs with Jerry.

The coffee house was deserted when she crossed it to answer the phone in the small storage room to the left of the counter.

"Hello?" she said grabbing the handset.

"Mrs Fairchild? Or should I say Ms Sullivan?" a man responded on the other end.

"Who´s this?" asked Chloe, tightening the grip on the phone as her old name rang in her ear and she realised this was no call from Sleuth.

"Let´s just say I´m the one who calls the shots now. The old man died and failed to deliver what he´d promised us, and that´s made us very unhappy," the man answered tersely.

"I´m afraid I don´t know what you´re talking about," Chloe told him as she shut the door quietly to keep her conversation private.

"Come on, Ms Sullivan. You know very well who I´m talking about. That sharp mind of yours might have chosen to repress some unsavoury memories, but it made sure to keep what could nail `him´ pretty much alive. That first novel of yours... was a very enlightening read."

"The past is dead and buried, Mr Mystery. That bastard ruined my life twice, and I just want to move on. I don´t know what you want from me, but..." she replied through clenched teeth.

"It didn´t seem dead and buried two days ago when LuthorCorp´s CEO came to see you at the coffee shop. By the way, does he know? It took us a while to figure out what the old man´s trump card was to get us what he´d promised us. Considering he no longer controlled the voting at LuthorCorp´s board of directors it had to be something big to sway young Luthor´s resolve to keep us out. Something tells me he´d budge now. You´ll convince him for us."

"First of all, I don´t know who I´m talking to. Second, what makes you think I´d involve myself in Luthor business again? And last but not least, what makes you believe I´d have any influence whatsoever on someone as powerful as Lex Luthor?"

"Don´t sell yourself short, Ms Sullivan. Did you know your knight in shining armour broke up his engagement after visiting you? The Daily Planet gossip column might mention irreconcilable differences as the cause, but we know better, don´t we? What does it feel like to be the love interest of the son of the man who murdered your father and your husband?" asked the mysterious guy.

"I won´t listen one minute longer to a coward who doesn´t identify himself and feels the need to disguise his voice to make a prank call in very bad taste," hissed Chloe, wondering if there was any grain of truth in what the man had said about Lex´s break-up and if she´d be so lucky this time as to escape Lionel´s legacy unscathed.

"I wouldn´t hang up if I were you, Ms Sullivan. Take a look out of the window, and you´ll see what I mean," responded the unknown caller menacingly.

Chloe tightened the grip on the cordless phone as a grim sense of foreboding assaulted her. Opening the door of the storage room she approached the coffee house entrance and drew one of the red and white gingham curtains aside to look outside.

"Stay away from her or I swear to God... " she said through clenched teeth feeling the tears well up in her eyes.

"Tell Luthor to give us what we want and no one will get hurt," said the man grimly. "We´ll keep in touch," he added before hanging up.

"Wait!" she exclaimed only to be met by static and then complete silence.

With sweaty hands and a hammering heart she disconnected the cordless phone and, leaving it on a table near the entrance, she rushed through the door towards the young woman and the child that were crossing the street.

"Hi, Karen!" smiled her editor´s eldest daughter, who used to babysit Laura on occasion when Chloe and Phil had a rare night out. "Is everything OK?" she asked with a concerned look.

"Sure. I just finished the paperwork earlier and thought of taking some fresh air while waiting for you outside. I know I told you I´d need you until dinner, but... you don´t mind, do you? "

"It´s all right. I´ve got to study for my finals, so it suits me just fine."

"I´ll pay you the usual, though," Chloe told her, picking up Laura."How are you, sweetie?" she murmured, rubbing her nose against the child´s.

"Do you like it?" asked the girl showing Chloe her animal-shaped balloon.

"Where did you get it?" replied the blonde as she took the string from her daughter´s hand.

"That man..." responded Laura stretching her little arm to point to her right.

Chloe knew exactly where it had come from- a man dressed in a clown´s costume had given it to the girl while the young widow was being threatened on the phone.

"That´s odd," frowned the editor´s daughter not seeing the man anywhere. "He was here a few secs ago."

Chloe didn´t say anything; she just clutched at her baby a little bit tighter and gave her a peck on her cheek. Even though the stranger was no longer there, she could still feel the effect of seeing him close to her child. The blonde´s heart was racing and she could feel the blood pumping in her ears as fear and anguish overwhelmed her. It seemed the past had found her and a foolish mistake made in her high school years had come back to haunt her and put not only her but her offspring at risk.


	6. Resolutions

**CHAPTER 6:** Resolutions

SOMEWHERE AT LUTHORCORP PLAZA

Lex Luthor stepped out of the lift on Level 33.1 and walked purposefully down the corridor to a door at the end. He swiped his keycard and pushed the door open. Clenching his fists, he looked through the two-way mirror at the twenty-something sitting at the table in the small interrogation room.

"Has he talked?" he asked gravely to the man in the shadows.

"He says he was just following orders and insists he´s never seen his boss and that he doesn´t know who draws his cheques," responded Lex´s head of security.

"Do you believe him?" replied the young billionaire, observing the detainee, whose face was now clear of make-up.

"He seems to be telling the truth, but he could also be a consummate liar. I can´t be 100% sure, sir."

"You know what to do, then."

"Shall we use the Levitas serum on the interrogator?"

"That´s ill-advised. I don´t want anyone with such a power on the loose at Level 33.1 - I don´t care how temporary it might be. No. Bring Mikhail. He´ll get us what we want."

"All right, Mr Luthor," assented Greul before pressing the button on the intercom to speak to the lackey conducting the interrogation. "That´d be enough," he told the employee. That would get him out of the room and give the `guest´ a false sense of security. He had no intention of giving the young man a respite and lose what they´d achieved the last three hours; they needed to strike while the iron was hot and get the information their employer was requesting.

Lex Luthor was a man not worth defying or vexing- Greul loved his life too much to run that risk; not that he thought Lex would have him killed. No, he´d use a much subtler and intelligent means of revenge. He´d probably have all records of Greul´s existence erased and a new identity created for him - preferably with a criminal record.

"Wipe out Mikhail´s memory once he´s done," Lex ordered him before leaving the room and taking the lift to the top floor of LuthorCorp Plaza.

"I´m sorry, madam, but I´m afraid you´ll have to ask for an appointment in advance. Could you tell me what business´s brought you here?" asked Lex´s assistant to the attractive blonde at the reception of the executive floor.

"It´s personal. I´m sure if you told him who it is that´s asking to see him..." explained Chloe while Laura pulled at her hand to let her snoop around.

"I´m afraid Mr Luthor´s busy at the moment. Now, if you tell me your name and what it is you need, I´ll see he gets the message," Jennifer cut her off.

Chloe clenched her teeth and tried to paste on her best smile. She didn´t know why, but this willowy brunette with her chocolate doe eyes, her perfectly pressed trouser suit, her perfect manicure and fake smile grated on her nerves.

Gabe´s daughter couldn´t explain her animosity towards the assistant and still, she felt as if she had known the woman from another time or as if she reminded her of someone. The damn Rotweiller with her affected voice and saccharine smile wouldn´t deter her from doing what she´d planned.

"Listen, Miss..." the blonde cocked an eyebrow as the assistant fidgeted under the intense scrutiny of the blonde miniature next to Chloe. "You see..."

"Mummy, " Laura interrupted her, pulling her arm gently."Gen´man," she added pointing at Lex, who had stopped dead short in the middle of the corridor on seeing Chloe and the child at the reception of his very own office when he´d thought they were safe and discreetly guarded by his own people in Star City.

"It´s all right, Jennifer. I know Mrs Fairchild," he smiled at the petite but curvy blonde. "Reschedule my last appointments. You can leave when you´re done; I won´t be needing you till Monday," he added, once he got closer to his assistant´s desk. "Come this way, Mrs Fairchild," he invited Chloe to his inner sanctum, resisting the impulse to rest his hand on her lower back to guide her as he´d have done in the past. "Hello, Laura," he smiled at the girl as she clutched at her teddy bear and look up at him with a mischievous twitch of her mouth. "That´s a very nice bear you´ve got there," he told the child once he had shut the door of his private office. "Does he have a name?"

"Pooh," she beamed, flashing him a blinding Sullivan smile.

"Of course, what else would he be called?" he smirked, raising his steel blue-grey eyes to meet her mother´s.

Chloe locked her deep green orbs with his and felt a tightening in her chest. She knew this was going to be hard and had tried to prepare herself for the moment- the moment when she´d come face to face with Lex again, knowing everything she now knew about him, about them. She´d gone over everything she´d say and how she´d say it- she´d even put it in writing and practised it in front of the full-length mirror of her tiny apartment as she changed into different outfits, indecisive of what to wear to the meeting.

Lex studied her discreetly as she shifted her gaze to Laura and carded her fingers through the girl´s golden hair. She´d smiled at him, but he knew her well enough to realise it´d been one of her practised smiles; he´d seen too many of those when Clark and Lana were around before the summer that changed it all. She´d never turned that smile on him and, seeing it now, made him feel awkward and impotent because in the past he´d have had the right to do something about it. He´d never been able to see her depressed and, although she´d just tried to hide her discomfiture, she hadn´t been fast enough.

"Why don´t you sit down, Mrs Fairchild?" he offered, showing her to the leather upholstered sofa.

"You can call me by my first name, _Lex_," she answered stressing his name.

"OK, Karen," he responded, lowering himself on the other end of the sofa as Chloe sat Laura next to her.

"By my _real_ name, Lex," she corrected him, holding his gaze.

He had expected her to come to him eventually- he had counted on it – but he hadn´t thought it´d be this soon. She must have lost the security detail he had assigned to both of them.

"I´m sorry, Chloe," he answered with regret in his voice.

"It isn´t you who should be saying sorry, Lex, and I haven´t come all the way to Metropolis for that. We need to talk."

"How much do you remember?" he asked her, getting up from the seat and walking to the wet bar.

"Bits and pieces. There are still big blanks, but I´ve been able to find some pieces of the puzzle making use of my investigative skills," she replied with the ghost of a smile.

"Let me make a couple of quick phone calls first. I´ll ask Jennifer to bring us some coffee before she leaves. What shall I ask for Laura?" he said picking up the handset.

"Fresh fruit juice?" she suggested.

"Any preferences?" he asked her, dialling the extension number to get in touch with his assistant.

"Orange... with a straw," she told him, taking off her jacket. "Could you make sure they pour it into a plastic or Styrofoam cup?"

"Sure," he smiled as Jennifer picked up his call. "Bring us a carafe of freshly made coffee, two cups, sugar, no cream. And a freshly-squeezed orange juice in a paper cup with a straw," he said to her before covering the receiver."Chloe, have you both eaten yet?"

"We´re fine, Lex. Thanks," she responded, suddenly embarrassed as she noticed his eyes had strayed for a few long seconds to the opening of her shirt to peek at her creamy breasts- where his gift was still lying.

Lex saw a delightful blush cover her before she hid from him by kneeling in front of Laura to tie one of the girl´s shoelaces.

"Jennifer," he told his assistant, looking at Chloe´s back and remembering the way she´d blushed when he saw her naked for the first time," have Stevens get some educational toys. Tell him to make sure they have no tiny parts. Yes, for a two-year-old. That´s right. Ask him to bring them to the room we use for our board meetings."

Chloe thanked Lex for his thoughtfulness. She knew they´d be more comfortable talking while the girl was busy in her own world. Although the ideal thing would have been for her to come to see Lex without the child, she hadn´t been able to leave Laura behind- not when there were people out there who might hurt her. She hadn´t figured out how she´d get to talk with Lex mincing no words with the little girl around, but his quick-mindedness had resolved the issue for her.

"Why don´t you pick up your purse and follow me, Chloe?" he suggested, walking around his desk and leading the former reporter and the child to LuthorCorp´s board meeting room. "Make yourself a home," he added, pushing the acid-etched glass door open. "The coffee´s ready and the games should be here any minute," he smiled, drawing back a chair for her to sit down. "Excuse me," he added, opening the ringing mobile phone. "Luthor. What do you have?" he snapped, walking into the kitchenette and closing the door behind him. "OK. No, that´d be enough. This interrogation has never happened. Make sure he won´t remember a thing. Something else... how come I wasn´t informed Mrs Fairchild had left her residence? I don´t want excuses. You were lucky no harm came to either of them on their way here, but I want to know if they were tailed by someone. Make it happen," he told his head of security grimly before slamming the mobile shut.

When he stepped back in the room Chloe was looking out of the panoramic windows with a mug of hot coffee in her hands while Laura was busy drawing with her crayons.

"Whose ears have been boxed?" Chloe asked when he heard him pour himself a cup of java.

"Why do you assume something like that´s just happened?" he cocked an eyebrow as he sipped the hot beverage.

"It took me half an hour to get rid of a car that had been following us all day from Star City. A friend´s just called me. The licence plates are in LuthorCorp´s name. You´ve had me... us... followed and it doesn´t take a rocket scientist to know you like to be... on top of things," she responded, turning around to face him.

"Those men were there for your protection, Chloe," he said tightly." They were paid to do their job."

"I write murder mysteries, Lex. What harm could come to me? Some unsatisfied reader venting his anger because he felt cheated when he found out the butler hadn´t done it?" she replied ironically.

"Come in," he told his assistant when they heard a knock on the door. "Thanks, Jennifer. Leave them on the coffee table," he instructed her as the young woman entered carrying a pile of toys, cube puzzles and building blocks.

"You shouldn´t have," said Chloe after Jennifer left, approaching the table to have a look at the expensive games and toys.

"She can take them when you leave," he said calmly, looking at the little girl´s enthusiasm as she grabbed a wooden puzzle featuring her favourite bear.

"It´s very generous of you, Lex, but..." she started.

"Chloe... let me do this," he interrupted her, locking his intense blue-grey eyes with hers.

"You know why I´m here, Lex. Who are they? What do they want with me and my baby?" she asked in a cracking voice.

"They´re trying to get to me through you."

"You know who they are, don´t you?"

"I´m working on it."

"Don´t lie to me, Lex."

"I may have a lead, but I want to be certain before doing anything about it. I promise you that whoever´s threatening you and Laura won´t go unpunished," he told her fiercely, resting both hands on her shoulders and looking her straight in the eye.

"They said you know what it is that they want. They scared the hell out of me, and I´m not that easily spooked," she confessed, lowering her voice and glancing away with the excuse of checking on Laura, who was busy with the puzzle, only to escape what looking into those depths was making her feel.

"You can´t go back to Star City- it´s no longer safe for either of you," Lex stated matter-of-factly.

"Too much has changed in our lives these last few days. I don´t want to uproot her as well."

"You´ve already paid dearly for my relying on someone else to watch over you once. I won´t make the same mistake twice," he responded passionately. "You´ll stay with me in the penthouse. It isn´t as big as the mansion, but there are enough rooms for you to choose from."

"Lex..."

"Please, Chloe. I know asking you to trust me is a lot considering how much pain my family´s caused you."

"I´m largely guilty for bringing this onto me. Entering that reckless deal with your father was sheer madness. I was foolishly naïve to believe I could outsmart someone like him."

"There´s more than one party to blame, Chloe. You might have entered that bargain, but I had my part in what happened _next_. And I´m not talking just about the safe house explosion," he said huskily.

"It takes two to tango," responded Chloe, confirming Lex she remembered about them.

"Will that be a problem? Is that why you´re reticent to stay in the penthouse?"

Chloe looked at him in silence and recalled the Lex of her dreams. She knew what having him around could do to her defences and he must be aware of it.

"I won´t be a hypocrite and tell you that isn´t one of the reasons I don´t believe our moving in with you would be such a good idea."

"And I´d be an insensitive bastard to pretend to pick up things where we left them after everything that´s happened. Not to mention the fact you didn´t remember me until I paid you a visit last weekend."

Although the prospect of living under the same roof with someone whose mere presence could provoke in her such a turmoil was courting disaster, something in Lex´s demeanour told her he meant what he said and that helped dispel her qualms in part. Still, if she were honest with herself, it was her own weakness around him, rather than his ardour, what she feared.


	7. Moving In

A/N: Here's a new instalment. Remember to check out my profile to access my latest one-shots- which I posted between updates. :)

**CHAPTER 7:** Moving In

LEX´S PENTHOUSE- FRIDAY EVENING

The afternoon had gone by in a breeze with all the shopping and arrangements necessary for both of the girls to move in with Lex. He´d have preferred for some employee to get everything that they might need for their stay, but he knew Chloe well enough to be aware she´d like to choose what clothes they´d wear and how much she´d let him spend on them. Going around town with the blonde reporter and a two-year-old would have certainly attracted the attention of the paparazzi who were always stalking him, and Lex wanted to keep them out of the spotlight as long as possible.

Lex had made sure as few people as possible saw them by having one of LuthorCorp´s department stores close before time alleging his team had to run a general check up of the alarm system and security measures in the building. Only the manager had been allowed to stay behind and see to both Chloe and Laura´s needs. Hanging around for the procedure had been invigorating and made Lex remember what it was like to negotiate with Gabe Sullivan´s daughter. Having a woman like Lana by his side had almost made him forget what it felt like to deal with someone who knew what she wanted and wouldn´t give an inch so easily.

By the time Lex´s newly-bought car- flashing no vanity plates- was parked in the garage of his exclusive block of flats, the interior decorator engaged to conjure up a nursery in record time had left, and they were ready for dinner.

"I´ve given my staff the weekend off," explained Lex once Chloe had finished bathing Laura and changing her into a pair of new pyjamas. "I could have ordered some takeout, but the fewer people we have around the better. I´ve fixed us something to eat."

"It looks yummy," responded Chloe, looking at the table set for three and the appetising sirloin, steamed vegetables and garlic bread.

"She does eat meat, right?" he asked, looking at Laura with a worried frown,.

"Yes, Lex, and the steamed vegetables are perfect. I´ll just cut the meat for her," the blonde told him, grabbing her cutlery to start with the task. "About the nursery..."

"It´s been a long day. Shall we sign a truce for the duration of the meal, Chloe? Let´s talk about it after dinner, OK?" he suggested, setting down a jug of freshly-squeezed orange juice.

"OK. It sounds fair," she responded, sitting down at one end of the table.

"I promise I´ll tell you everything I know once the dishes are in the washer," he smirked, pouring her a glass of cold white wine.

"That won´t take you off the hook," she smiled weakly, taking a sip of the drink.

"I imagined that much. You´ve always been a hard nut to crack, Chloe Sullivan."

Dinner went along splendidly. Lex didn´t only prove to be an excellent cook but a gracious host, who could entertain an adult with his intelligent conversation while- at the same time- make a child feel comfortable and important. A sixth sense told Chloe he must have experienced what it was like to be left on the fringes as a child and that he was trying not to repeat that with the little girl.

"Is she asleep?" he asked in a quiet voice as Chloe let herself fall in one of the cosy armchairs of Lex´s living-room. He knew she was because he´d stopped at her room´s door on his way back from the bathroom and saw Chloe kiss the girl´s forehead before tucking her in. As much as he´d have liked to step in and say goodnight to Laura, the scene had overwhelmed him and he´d sneaked away before things got too emotional to handle.

"With all the hassle she´s been in, she´s sleeping like a log," she sighed, admiring the way the muscles of Lex´s back rippled as he poked the fire he´d lit to warm the room. Although spring had started a fortnight ago, winter appeared not to want to leave just yet. "OK. Let´s lay the cards on the table, shall we? What is it that these people want from you? And what do _we_ have to do with it?"

"Straight to the point. I´ve always liked that about you."

"I asked you the same question this morning and you didn´t give me an answer- at least, not one that satisfied me. We both know you already had more than a lead when I met you at LuthorCorp."

"All right," he responded, leaving the poker and pinching the bridge of his nose as he collected his thoughts. "You deserve to know why and I´ll try to be as concise as possible. Seven months ago LuthorCorp entered the final stages of the development of a software that´ll put Echelon to shame. It´s a project we´ve been working on for three years."

"You mean a system which violates the Fifth Amendment and every right to privacy protected by the constitution?" she cocked an eyebrow.

"I´m talking about the ultimate global spying weapon in an era when the enemy has no face and the most powerful´s the one who´s got the monopoly of information. I don´t deny that when I started this project I did it for my own selfish reasons, but living in Smallville and miraculously surviving meteor showers and dangerous freak attacks can put things in perspective. I saw in it a means to protect us all from a potential bigger threat and decided to approach the military. However, LuthorCorp´s image had suffered a lot due to Dad´s trial and I needed an associate to speed up the process and lure the buyers. A month ago, after fighting against a couple of board members who had always voted in accordance with my father´s wishes I managed to find the perfect prospective partner."

"Who´s this partner?"

"We shall leave him out of this for the time being," he responded calmly, defying her with his gaze to rein in her inquisitiveness." Suffice it to say he´s got an impeccable reputation in the world of business and the capability to collaborate with LuthorCorp in a project of this scale. The ones I´m really worried about are those who wanted to be part of this deal and were left out, despite their attempt to bribe several of our shareholders to get the control of Argus."

"You said _attempt... _Does that mean they were _dissuaded_ somehow?"

"When I took the reins of the corporation I inherited everything that came in the package. Dad´s secret projects I´ve yet to discover, shareholders that danced to his tune and a whole archive of dirty laundry that people outside and inside LuthorCorp would rather never saw the light- and I´m sure it´s but a portion of what my dad gathered in his life," he explained, pouring two snifters of brandy.

"That´s a lot of power for one man to wield," she responded, accepting the drink.

"That´s the way my father always operated," he told her, bringing the snifter closer to his nose to smell the bouquet.

"And you?" she asked quietly.

"As much as I keep trying to fight against my heritage there are things I´ve learnt that I find difficult to shake off. Although I´ve done my best to differentiate myself from my dad both in my private and my business life, there´s one thing he taught me about the world of affairs that I´d be a fool to disregard..."

"And that would be?"

"The best businessman isn´t just the one who sees opportunities where others only see obstacles, he´s also the one who knows everything there is to know about his competitors-dirty laundry included- and is ready to use that against them to get the best deal."

"That sounds like something a shark would do," she said, taking a small sip of the brandy and savouring its woody flavour.

"I´m afraid I´ve been brought up to survive in a pool of sharks. I´ve got that instinct, Chloe, and... although there was no love lost between my father and me, this instinct he helped develop in me has saved my life many a time."

"What role did your father play in all this?"

"My father´d been trying to get back the control of LuthorCorp by sabotaging several of my merger and acquisition plans. He was no longer a member of the Board of Directors, but he knew a lot of the past lives of some of the oldest members and pressured them to vote against me. I solved that by forcing them to an early retirement and he counterattacked having some of his old cronies buy enough stock to get a couple of puppet votes on the board."

"Are these new members connected to whoever´s threatened Laura and me?"

"They must be working for them, yes. Last week there was a board meeting and the voting ended in a tie. I need a vote to be able to sell to the military."

"Who´s behind the other party interested in Argus?"

"I´m working on it," he said quietly, walking to the wet bar to pour himself another brandy.

"Come on, Lex. Don´t patronise me, " she glared, slamming the snifter on the end table.

"It isn´t safe for you to know."

"Not safe?! Not knowing hasn´t kept me or my baby safe, Lex!" she fumed. "It didn´t prevent a man I didn´t remember and hadn´t seen in three years from killing my husband and threatening my family. It hasn´t stopped these goons from thinking they can manipulate me with my past and my own flesh and blood," she hissed, walking up and down the room.

"It´s mine too, remember?" answered Lex, locking his eyes with hers and seeing in her deep green pools what look like fleeting fear.

**TBC**


	8. The Truth

**CHAPTER 8:** The Truth

The wood crackling in the fireplace was the only sound that filled the pregnant silence in the living-room of Lex´s penthouse. Chloe wondered if she looked like a deer caught in headlights because that´s the way she was feeling after hearing Lex utter his final words.

"Don´t be afraid to answer, Chloe," said Lex, breaking the silence and noticing the emotions which crossed Chloe´s expressive face.

"What is it that you´re expecting me to say or to confess, Lex?"

"Do you remember our last time together?" he asked quietly, standing an armful away from her back as she surveyed Metropolis from the panoramic window of his living-room.

Chloe couldn´t very well tell him she´d been having dreams of him ... of them together for some time now, and that she´d been able to put a face to the passionate man of her dreams only after he visited her in Star City. Confessing it was mostly the recollection of their intimate encounters that her mind could remember on its own would have meant granting him too much to manipulate her with.

She cursed her body inwardly for reacting to the memories and to his proximity. She wondered if he still knew her well enough to realise what his questions were doing to her and if he could hear the way her heart was drumming from where he was standing.

Lex´s eyes roamed Chloe´s figure leisurely until they reached the column of her neck, which she had left clearly visible by putting her hair loosely up with the aid of a barrette. He noticed her quickened heartbeat as his eyes caressed her pulse, and he remembered what it felt like to press his mouth there. He wondered if her skin was still as silky to the touch and if she tasted the same. He knew he´d made her a promise and he intended to keep it, but having her around was like being in heaven and hell all at once.

"The gaps are bigger than the memories, but I do remember us... yes," she confessed, trying not to give away too much.

"Then you know exactly what I meant. Your husband might have loved her and raised her like a daughter, but Laura isn´t his, Chloe, and you know it. Laurie was born almost nine months after my dad´s trial was over. How far along were you when Fairchild proposed? Three months? We were exclusive, Chloe. And, before you say anything, we always took precautions- I´d have never run the risk. As much as I´d have loved to tie you to me then, it was hardly the right time. It was nobody´s fault; only fate," he told her warmly as Chloe´s hand travelled to her neck on its own accord to clutch at her St Christopher and trace the engraved words. _Fāta viam invenient._"There´s something I want to show you," he added after a short pause that felt like an eternity.

Chloe saw him walk towards his impressive library and press a button to reveal a hidden compartment. He took a dossier with LuthorCorp´s logo on its cover and, turning around, looked at her in the eye before stretching out an arm to hand her the documents.

"You´ll find everything you need to know there. You might doubt my word or not remember conceiving our child, but you won´t be able to deny what science´s proved to be true."

Chloe´d tried not to acknowledge what her sixth sense had been telling her- that Lex was Laura´s father. Self-denial had been the only way of protecting the fragile cocoon that was keeping her and baby Laurie together and safe.

"Where did you get this?" she frowned, leafing through the papers and coming across Laura´s medical records and lab tests. "Stupid question," she added under her breath, knowing there was nothing impossible for someone with the power and resources of a Luthor. And now the cold scientific facts before her eyes were tearing the flimsy protective fabric she´d spun around her and her baby. There was no use in hiding any more and, surprisingly, a little voice inside her told her it wasn´t the end of the world. "He did know, didn´t he? That´s what he wanted when he came to Star City. He wanted to use his own granddaughter to pressure you at the voting. He needed a vote to break the tie, and why not yours? He must have relished the thought of revenge...."

"I´m sure he did. I can only imagine his surprise and outrage when Sleuth- which is a LuthorCorp-owned company, by the way-published your first novel. He must have recognised your style or, at least, seen a large dirty portion of his young years in Suicide Slums reflected in the book. You might have not remembered the trial, but the memories of everything he´d done to become the man he was were intact in your mind, Chloe. I read it; it´s a wonderfully written and entertaining thriller- the unauthorised biography of Lionel Luthor."

"I honestly didn´t know."

"Of course you didn´t. You wouldn´t have jeopardised the lives of your husband and Laura. If you had stayed single and childless... then I can very well picture you publishing the book without minding the consequences because that´s who you´ve always been, and it´s one of the things I admire and love about you."

"That might explain how he traced me," she said holding his gaze and fighting against the treacherous blush she could feel creeping up to her cheeks."How did he find out about Laura, though?"

"Because of this," he responded, shaking an orange plastic tube which he´d also taken out of the compartment and stashed away in the pocket of his trousers.

Chloe´s eyes fixed on the transparent tube which she recognised immediately as her baby´s prescription.

"I´m afraid our daughter´s inherited my off-the-charts white cell count- a condition so rare, there used to be only one patient with it and only one treatment provider, LuthorCorp."

The incontestable evidence of parenthood presented by Lex left her with no way out but to accept it at face value.

"What now, Lex? She´s all I´ve left in this world," she said, swallowing the lump in her throat as the magnitude of what had been revealed in Lex´s living-room came crashing down on her.

"I´d never dream of taking her away from you, Chloe," he responded quietly, coming closer to her and grabbing her gently by her upper arms. "But she´s mine too. She´s _our_ daughter. I want to get to know her and her me. Let me be there for you both. Let me protect what´s mine," he said passionately, feeling her tremble.

"Our daughter´s not a possession; she´s a person. And you´re presuming too much," she told him, tilting her chin up in a typical Sullivan gesture devised both to cover up how much his touch was affecting her and to convince herself she still had control over her treacherous body in his presence.

"God! I´d forgotten how stubborn you could be sometimes. It was a figure of speech, OK? She´s my own flesh and blood, the child I conceived with the woman I love and still plan to marry some day," he said boring his eyes into her deep green pools and fighting the urge to crush her lips with a passionate kiss to show her how much it meant to him to have them both back in his life. "Don´t say anything, Sullivan," he added when he saw a glint of... was it rebelliousness in her eyes? "I just wanted you to know or... to remember that I´ve never been one to give up when I see something I want. I thought you´d appreciate my being honest with you, Chloe. That doesn´t mean I´ll pounce on you or force you into a relationship. I intend to keep the promise I´ve made you. And when the time comes- for it will- you´ll come to me voluntarily."

"You´ve got a very high opinion of yourself," she replied, fighting a smile.

"So I´ve been told," he smirked.

"Was it always like this?" she asked him wistfully.

"Energising?" he said with a twist of his mouth. "Verbal judo, we used to call it. Yes, it was like that from the first day we met."

"I can´t remember ever reacting this way," she confessed aloud, thinking of her marriage to Phil.

"It must be being around me then," he responded smugly.

"You´re too smug for your own good, Luthor," quipped Chloe, feeling flushed and more aroused than she´d ever been after foreplay with her late husband.

"You look exhausted. It´s been a very long day for all of us," he spoke after a tense silence filled with memories of their times together before destiny had torn them apart. "Goodnight, Chloe," he murmured, strengthening his resolve in an effort to show her he could be trusted.

There would be time to woo her and win her back. Now he had to focus all his energy on finding out who the head of the operation was and making the threat against his family disappear.


	9. Knocking at the Door

**CHAPTER 9:** Knocking at the Door

CENTRAL KANSAS UNIVERSITY- EARLIER

Friday had been a really intense and busy heroic day for Clark. Even though he´d promised his parents he´d be careful and try not to use his powers away from home, he couldn´t just sit doing nothing when he knew he could be out there helping people and saving lives. He made his best to be discreet and always looked out for prospective Masons and Nixons that might be lurking around. So far he´d been lucky and he couldn´t deny being referred to as the mysterious hero on campus had raised his spirits the last couple of months, which had been particularly difficult with Lex and Lana´s engagement.

The farm boy had begun Friday by saving a bunch of primary school students from falling into the waters of the Elbow River when the driver suffered a heart attack at the wheel of the school bus. Then, his lunch had been cut short by a suicidal sophomore who jumped off the roof of the university on getting the results of a partial. And later, he was dragged away from his favourite Ancient History class by an armed robbery at Kregburne Tavern.

Now he was trying to catch up with the assignments he hadn´t been able to finish due to his weekly heroic escapades and was looking forward to getting home for the weekend since Martha would be coming from Washington to stay in Smallville until the end of the month.

He was finishing drafting his essay on Ethics in the World of Journalism when there was an energetic knock at the door of his dorm room, which made him jump and punch a hole through the paper pad.

"Hello there, Smallville," Lois greeted him, inviting herself in. "So this is how the other half of Central Kansas live, eh?" she told a baffled Clark while inspecting the room.

"How did you get in?" he frowned, keeping the door open.

"Through the front door. Is there any other way in?" she asked with a lopsided grin.

"Lois," he told her menacingly.

". I sneaked in. At least you could thank me for being worried enough to come visit you. How are you feeling?" she responded, placing a hand on his brow.

"Feeling?" he asked confused until it dawn on him Lois was also attending Ancient History and that she must have noticed his absence.

"Oh!" I´m feeling better now. I couldn´t stay until the end; that hamburger I had for lunch didn´t sit well on my stomach," he lied to cover up his faux-pas.

"Must be your delicate farm boy constitution. I´m used to boot camp cooking... My stomach can digest the thickest motor oil. Aren´t you going to close the door?"

"You´re a ... girl;" he hesitated.

"Last time I checked, " she cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, come on, Smallville! Don´t be such a prude. I´m not going to jump you."

"This is the boys´ dorm. You aren´t supposed to be here. You´ll put us both in trouble. Anyway, how did you know this was my room?"

"The doormat."

"What?"

"Who else but a well-mannered farm boy raised by Martha Kent would have a `welcome´ mat?" she pointed at it, and Clark closed the door quietly with a grimace. "Ah! By the way," she told him, unfolding what she had gripped in her hand and thrusting it into him as she walked to his desk," you´ve got mail."

"Where did you get this?" he asked her looking at the large manila envelope in his hands.

"It was on the mat when I got to the door," she explained, picking up the pad and perusing what Clark had been working on. "My! Someone was frustrated!" she exclaimed, seeing the hole in the middle.

"Give me that," Clark snarled, snatching it away from her.

"You´re grumpy, today. You´d better get ready because you aren´t gonna like this. I tried to talk Professor Stein out of it. Hell! I was really surprised when I didn´t see you jump off your chair to protest- that´s when I realised you were missing from your favourite class."

"What are you talking about?" asked Clark with a puzzled frown.

"It seems we were the only two who had no partner for the hieroglyphic research. So, partner, we´ll have some work to do over the weekend," she explained, resting her weight on her left foot and hooking her thumbs through the belt loops of her jeans.

"What?" exploded the farm boy.

"My exact same reaction, Skippy. We´re stuck together. By the way, where´s your travelling bag?" she added, roaming the room with her eyes.

"My travelling bag?"

"You´re slow today, Kent. If you haven´t noticed, the calendar reads Saturday and there´s a storm brewing. I´d rather we hit the road before it starts raining. Don´t want to tempt fate when it comes to Hickville."

"_We_?"

"You´ve got to have your hearing checked, Smallville. Yes, _we_. You´re giving me a lift. Your mum phoned me from D.C. yesterday. She invited me over, said she needs something or other... So... I´m shooting two birds with a stone."

Clark sighed in defeat. Goodbye to the quiet family weekend he´d been looking forward to.

"So... aren´t you gonna open it?" she asked, pointing at the envelope he still had in his hands.

"Did you ever hear of something called privacy, Lois?"

"OK," she raised her hands," I´ll go back to the girls´ dorm to fetch my bag. Shall I wait for you at the parking lot?"

"Yes, give me twenty minutes," he told her, grabbing a paper knife.

He´d need a few seconds to pack up and be on his way- that had been his plan before hurricane Lois arrived and turned his schedule upside down.

Fifteen minutes had elapsed since they left the campus in the Kents´ red truck and Clark had barely said two words when Lois decided she´d had enough.

"Lois!" shouted the farm boy when rock music started blaring out of the loudspeakers.

"Just checking if you were still among the living," she told him, turning down the volume." Geez, I thought I was in a mortuary for a while there."

Clark gripped the steering-wheel and felt the heavy-duty plastic crack a little under his hands. He hadn´t noticed he´d gone without speaking for so long and hearing Lois´ last sentence only exacerbated the strange mood he was in.

"Are you sure you aren´t gonna puke? I´ve never seen you so pale," she added, turning around in the seat.

"I´m fine," he answered, thinking nothing could be further removed from the truth.

"If you say so," she sighed not really convinced." If I were you, I´d sue the university cafeteria for serving nuclear waste to the unsuspecting students who are trying to live on a shoe string."

"Maybe it´s just a twenty-four-hour bug."

"And maybe one day you´ll fly. Always trying to think the best of people, Clark. You´re gonna fall flat on your face one of these days."

`If you only knew,´ he thought to himself.

LEX´S PENTHOUSE- SUNDAY MORNING

It´d been a long sleepless night for Lex and he was aware that Chloe hadn´t fared any better- he´d heard her get up in the middle of the night to have a shower before walking to the kitchen to plug in the coffee maker and make herself a cup. The sound of the shower coming from her bathroom had only worsened the hardly contained state of arousal Lex found himself in after waking up from a particularly heated dream- well, more than a dream, a treasured memory of making love to Chloe in the decadent bathroom of his master bedroom at the mansion.

He hated feeling like a horny hormone-driven adolescent because there were more pressing matters at hand and because Chloe meant more to him than someone to warm his bed. He loved her inquisitiveness, her passion, her loyalty, her integrity, that smile that could light up a room and make you feel as if there were no one more important or loved in her world. He loved all about her and, above all, he loved who he was when she was around. He´d missed her warmth, her constant challenges and yes... also the way she made him tremble with need when she touched him and looked at him in a certain way. He´d never been so lacking in control around any other partner. Chloe was the only woman with whom he´d allowed himself to feel and to let it show, maybe not in words but in deeds, both outside and inside the sanctity of his own bedroom.

Chloe had been the first woman to wake up in the morning and find him still beside her, and the only one he´d welcomed in his own bed. She was the one; she´d been the one from the moment he stepped into the office of the school newspaper and, in spite of his inability to say the three words he wanted to say to her each time her body opened to him and he got lost in those emerald eyes, he was sure she knew how deep his love for her was.

There were times he told himself he´d never uttered the words in the most intimate of moments because it´d have sounded clichéd, and he didn´t want her to think he was just a new toy to him. Still, deep inside he knew that what had stopped him had been his terror of admitting aloud there was someone who could make him feel weak. It was only when he realised he could lose her if something went wrong with his plan to keep her safe that he said the words. He would never forget that evening because it´d been their goodbye and the beginning of a new life- the life of the innocent child who lay asleep a few metres away from him.

Lex walked further into the room-turned-nursery to have a closer look at his daughter. He observed the girl´s even breathing and angelic features in repose and smiled at the memory of what Laura was like while awake- an intelligent and cheeky sprite. Overwhelmed by emotion, he fought hard against the tears that threatened to spill when he leant down to press a soft kiss on the girl´s brow only to hear her whisper in dreams: "Bye, daddy." He knew she must have thought him to be Fairchild, and he could even imagine the man doing every morning what he´d just done. For now, Lex would just pretend it was _he_ _himself_ she´d said daddy to for, as God was his witness, he´d make everything in his power to earn the title he already had by right.

He raised his eyes and noticed the door connecting to Chloe´s room was ajar. The blonde writer seemed to be asleep; Lex thanked that fact because there was something he meant to do before noon and, knowing her, she´d have started bombarding him with questions or insisting on coming along with him. Therefore, he stepped quietly out of Laura´s room and, stopping at the dining-room table where he had laid everything ready for Chloe´s breakfast, he propped a short note against her mug before walking towards the front door.

FORT ADELSON- JUST OUTSIDE METROPOLIS

As a contractor for the military Lex had certain privileges, one of them being entering a base without much ado and, this time, he welcomed the prerogative for it gave him the advantage of surprise. Although the man he was about to call on might not have anything to do with the threat his family was under now, he had some answers Lex wanted to hear and- what´s more- the military man had enough pull and resources to help him get to the bottom of things concerning Project Argus.

Lex parked his silver BMW sedan in front of the base house he´d been directed to by the sentry, killed the engine and got out of the car. He walked along the paved garden path bordered by the well-trimmed lawn as the sprinklers scattered a thin veil of water that dampened both the soil and his expensive trousers and shoes. Lex grimaced in disgust when he stepped on some organic manure no doubt the owner of the house had been using to fertilise the freshly planted flower beds. Despite his authoritative personality and his trademark straightforwardness- character traits which made him a great though politically incorrect leader- the seasoned military man appeared to have green fingers and a "tame" hobby.

After scraping his dirty sole on the concrete driveway, the young billionaire climbed up a couple of steps and rang the bell. A shout and then a curse were heard as the Metropolis star sportscaster announced a touchdown scored by the Sharks- the colourful expletive told Lex his unsuspecting host wasn´t amongst the supporters of the LuthorCorp-owned football team. The truth of the matter was not even Lex was a fan; he had inherited the team as part of LuthorCorp´s assets and kept it because so far the numbers at the bottom of the spreadsheet were positive. In fact, he had never felt an inclination towards heavy-duty team sports- his arena had always been disciplines where he could make use of his two biggest assets, his intellectual power and his knack at strategising. He loved fencing with words just as much as cornering an opponent with his epée and found planning his moves on a chessboard just as challenging as devising a takeover.

The volume of the TV set was turned down and a few seconds later the front door opened to reveal the man Lex hadn´t seen for almost three years. The penetrating gaze he remembered so well locked with Lex´s intense blue-grey eyes through the mesh of the storm door before the decorated officer took the lit cigar out of his mouth to speak up.

"Luthor. I was wondering how long it´d take you to come knocking at my door."

"May I?"

"You´ve come all this way on a Sunday, you might as well come in," responded the older man, pushing the storm door open and inviting Lex to step inside.

"I hope I´m not interrupting anything," said Lex smugly shooting a quick glance at the TV set and noticing the Sharks´ quarterback was giving the visitors a run for their money.

"Watching that thrashing wasn´t any good for my blood pressure anyway," snarled the military man, dropping the remote on his armchair after turning off the TV. "So?"

"You´re an intelligent man, General. You must already know why I´m here."

"I have an inkling, yes," he responded, opening the drinks cupboard to take out a half-full bottle of scotch. "I´d offer you a beer, but you´ve never struck me as the type."

"It´s all right, General. I don´t feel like drinking right now."

"Nothing like being sober and alert to handle a third-degree questioning. Smart."

"Let´s cut to the chase, shall we? I thought we had a deal. You lied to me, General."

"That´s not exactly true. I abode by the spirit of the letter of our verbal contract. You asked me to ensure her safety, and that´s what I did. We were both right in our assumption that one of the Feds was dirty. The house was rigged with explosives. Unfortunately, we weren´t fast enough. I lost my best demolition man and saw my brother-in-law blow up in pieces in front of my eyes."

"You knew how to contact me on a secure line. You should have told me Chloe was alive," complained Lex, trying to get the image of Gabe´s death out of his mind and maintain his cool demeanour.

"The minute I found her bloodied and burnt but breathing under the debris I realised she´d be in no fit state to be seen or walk around for a few months- least of all testify at the trial. Without her testimony your father´d walk away..." he explained.

"I could have taken her far away, paid for the best surgeons and treatment..."

"Let´s say you managed to do that. Then what? Do you think for a minute your father would have let you both get away with it? I couldn´t let anything happen to her, Lex. She´s like a daughter to me; I love her as if she were my own. I knew her well enough to realise she was madly in love with you and, in spite of your Luthor impassive mask, I could tell she meant a lot more to you than a convenient witness to put your old man in prison and throw away the key. Your love for each other put you both in a very precarious position and ..."

"How did she get to Star City?" Lex cut him off with a set jaw, telling himself that as much as he wanted to choke the man and blame him for keeping them apart, he was aware he himself might have done the same in his shoes- take Chloe as far away from the Luthors as possible.

"I took one of my men´s cars and drove her to the medical centre myself. I phoned Fairchild Jr from my cell phone and told him it was time he paid back the favour he owed me no questions asked, and he complied. A few years ago when he was in Med School he got involved in some nasty business. Some of his classmates were using the faculty´s labs to process methamphetamines. He started using and then gave up, but his roommate and best friend wasn´t that lucky. Phil wanted to pull him out and one night he followed his mate to a joint. Things got out of hand and he ended up calling me from a payphone. I used to be friends with his dad back in the old days- when I fought in Nam and Fairchild Sr had just graduated from Med School and volunteered for the front. I called a couple of my most trusted men and we made an incursion into the joint. We got the kid away, broke a few bones and started a fireworks display," smiled General Lane.

"What kind of a man was Fairchild?" asked Lex, trying to leave the tinge of jealousy out of his voice.

"A good kid fighting to get from under his dad´s shadow. He used to be a problem child and gave Fairchild Sr some very hard headaches, but the old man more than deserved them. He treated him like crap, always comparing him with his eldest brother, who was the perfect student and son in his eyes. No matter what Phil did, his father always found him lacking. I really loved the boy... I was sorry when I had to sever all ties with him," he said wistfully." You know, your father had me followed for months... after he was set free. The old devil... he had a sixth sense."

Lex listened to Chloe´s uncle without interruption as a myriad of emotions flowed through him. Phil´s life sounded a lot like his own but, apparently, Lane had thought Young Fairchild more deserving. The General had not only lied to Lex and betrayed his trust, he had served Chloe- the love of his life- on a silver platter to another man; he had virtually pushed her into Fairchild´s arms and kept Lex away from her and their child. He clenched his fists into two tight balls, curving his urge to pummel the older man´s face and kept reminding himself the older man had something he needed.

"A good Christian shouldn´t wish someone´s death. I´ve never been one, though," smiled Lane ironically." Wished I had killed the bastard with my own hands."

"Don´t we all?" asked Lex tersely.

"A pity so many had to die and suffer for him to enter Hades. I know there was no love lost between you and your father. So why stand on ceremony? How is she?"

"Chloe and our daughter are fine," answered Lex, observing Lane´s reaction.

"Daughter?" asked the General visibly shaken.

"Chloe was carrying our child when you handed her over to Fairchild. Is that surprise on your face? Or are you an accomplished actor?"

"I swear to you I didn´t know," confessed Lois´ father.

"Would knowing have changed anything?" asked Lex gravely. " I didn´t think so," he added when the General took a minute too long to respond.

"I wish I..." Sam began to say only to be interrupted by the billionaire.

"The past can´t be undone, General. What´s done is done. I can´t pretend to like you right now, and I really don´t know if I´ll ever be able to forgive you. However, you can start making amends. There´s something you can do for me... us. I´m afraid my father´s death hasn´t brought us the peace and quiet we´ve been hoping for. As you must already know, ever since I took the helm of the corporation I´ve had to deal with my dad´s plots to seize the control by having his old friends buy stock using suspicious manoeuvres or by sabotaging my plans resorting to dirty laundry to have the members vote against me. I´ve managed to deter several of them by using my own methods and enjoyed a streak of successful deals until a month ago when two new shareholders earned a place on the board. LuthorCorp´s always done business with the military, and I´ve been personally supervising a project with the idea of selling it to the Armed Forces. I´ve had some secret meetings with the Army, but it appears my father´s secret associates have a different plan and they´ve been trying to force my arm at the voting in vein. Our last attempt ended up a tie, but my father had a secret weapon I knew nothing about."

"That´s why he went to Star City..."

"Yes, he was planning to use Chloe and Laura against me... force me to vote against the deal with the military."

"Who did they want to sell to?"

"Actually, I don´t know who these people are or what their plan for this project is. And this is where your help would come in handy. Let´s say somebody decided he´d be better off by speaking... He gave us the name of someone in the military who´s working for my father´s associates. I want you to have this man tell you who his boss is and who´s responsible for the leaking of classified LuthorCorp information."

"I´m not in Intelligence, Lex."

"You´ve got contacts and the training to get people to talk. Don´t sell yourself short, General. Look at this as an olive branch. I´ll stay in touch," he finished, walking purposefully towards the front door without waiting for an answer. He knew the General´s love for his own flesh and blood and didn´t doubt for a minute the man would do what he´d been asked.


	10. Family

**CHAPTER 10:** Family

SMALLVILLE- KENT FARM

Clark had got up earlier than usual and spent three hours doing farm chores that always took him a couple of minutes. He hadn´t been able to sleep at all- his mind being in a whirl after getting that manila envelope in the post. Even though there was no forwarding address on the outside, the brief message enclosed didn´t leave too many options open unless he´d been too careless on one of his recent hero escapades.

Walking out of the barn he removed the gloves his dad used to wear and tossed them on a workbench. His hands would never get calloused no matter what he did, but someone could be out there observing him and he wasn´t willing to run the risk of being discovered.

"Good morning, Clark," said Martha warmly when he stepped into the kitchen and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good morning, mom," he smiled, grabbing a freshly-baked biscuit from the baking sheet.

"Just like your father," Martha told him with a frown, brushing away his hand. "They´re still hot."

"Hey, Smallville!" Lois greeted him from her post at the breakfast table.

"Hello, Lois. I thought we´d have to drag your city butt out of bed to have you share our early breakfast," responded the farm boy, opening the fridge to take the jug of milk.

"You´re kidding! And miss your mom´s homemade cookies? After months of munching sawdust at the college cafeteria I´d give an arm for a batch of Martha´s baking. I´m surprised you´ve doubted me after suffering the after-effects of that nuclear waste you had for lunch yesterday."

"Clark?" frowned Martha, wondering what all that was about; Clark had never had stomachache in his life.

"Lois thinks I´ve got a sensitive stomach."

"_I_ think? You should have looked at yourself in the mirror yesterday," mumbled the General´s eldest daughter unfolding the Sunday edition of The Planet. "I can´t believe it! That rattlesnake got away even in death."

"What are you talking about, Lois?" asked Clark, shutting the door of the fridge and walking towards the breakfast nook.

"Lionel Luthor; that´s who. It says here the investigation´s closed. Inconclusive evidence... No witnesses," she gritted her teeth."The Luthors think they can buy everything and everyone, that they´re above and beyond the law. I wonder if Lex had something to do in all this."

"I don´t think Lex would take part in a conspiracy to help his father, "said Martha, leaving a baking sheet on the worktop.

"Mom..." began Clark belligerently.

"I know you´re no longer friends, sweetie. And that you blame him because of Lana, but you of all people should know the way his father always treated him and how hard he and Chloe worked to see Lionel pay for what he´d done in Suicide Slums all those years ago. I can´t imagine Lex allying with his father, not after everything that happened."

"Maybe he didn´t but maybe he doesn´t want the truth to come out because it´s inconvenient," Clark interrupted Martha.

"Believe me, Martha, I´d have gladly joined the firing squad to wipe the Magnificent Bastard off the face of the earth if Lex had recruited me- and I´m definitely no fan of his. However, I think there´s something fishy here. Did you know Lex had him cremated? What if he didn´t want anyone to know how he died? Perhaps he was trying to protect someone," concluded Lois, setting the newspaper down on the table.

"And why don´t we nominate him for sainthood, now that we´re at it?" suggested Clark ironically as his eyes strayed to the front page and he sobered.

"Clark!" exclaimed Lois jumping out of her chair when the jug he was holding exploded in a million pieces and the spilt milk soaked his clothes. "Are you hurt?" she rushed to his side, trying to grab his hands to look at his palms, which she was sure the shards must have pierced.

"I´m fine," he said in a raspy voice, snatching his hands away."I´ll get changed. Mom...?" he added, shooting a glance at Martha.

"It´s OK, sweetie. I´ll bring the mop and," she pasted a practised smile on her face," I´ll fetch you a clean pair of jeans from the laundry."

"Thanks, mom. I´m sorry," Clark told her apologetically on his way to the bathroom.

"Gee! Did you see that? What do you feed the farm boy? Those cookies must have a secret ingredient," Lois babbled on as she observed the pulverised glass scattered on the floor.

"It must have been already cracked."

"Cracked? I´ll remember to wear an armour while Smallville´s around. Those shards flew like projectiles."

"Lois, could you watch over the last batch of cookies I have in the oven?" asked Martha, trying to distract her.

"Sure," responded Chloe´s cousin getting around the spill and the broken remnants of the milk jug.

"I´ll be back in a minute. I´m going to give Clark his jeans," Mrs Kent told Lois, grabbing them from the laundry basket.

Clark had stripped down to his underwear in record time and was now leaning heavily on the washbasin- his hand gripping the sides with contained strength when there was a knock at the door. He studied his face in the mirror, opened the tap and splashed some cold water on his face.

"Clark, can I come in? I´ve got you a clean pair of jeans," said Martha´s muffled voice. "Sweetie," she murmured when he opened the door," what happened? I know you and Lex aren´t best friends now but... since the engagement was broken, I thought that maybe... you´d be willing to... try and patch things up."

"Patch things up? After everything he´s done?"

"Clark, it takes two to tango. It was Lana ´s decision to make the choice she did."

"And Chloe, mom? If he hadn´t interfered, none of this would have happened," he fumed.

"You don´t know that, Clark. Chloe made a foolish mistake when she accepted Lionel´s offer, but I believe Lex honestly tried to help her."

"Lex doesn´t do anything unless he´s sure he´ll get something in return."

"Clark, there are things that you don´t know."

"What´s that supposed to mean?"

"It was a hard year for you... for all of us. Many things happened around you that you didn´t notice at the time."

"Like what?"

"We all lost things... someone... that year, and you were too wrapped up in your own emotional turmoil to see how fragile two of your best friends were."

"That isn´t true. I tried to help Lex... I tried to stop Lionel and... you and dad both told me it´d been for the best."

"I accept my degree of guilt in making your relationship with Lex more strained. I know how much he valued your friendship and understand his need to have someone trust him. We robbed him of that to protect you. I´m not blaming you, Clark.; I´d do it again in a heartbeat, but in retrospect... I wish there had been another way. I don´t approve of many of the things he´s done in the last few years and still... I can´t help but feel we gave up on him too soon. He just needed someone to believe in him, to trust him..."

"Yeah, Chloe did that and look what it cost her and Gabe."

"It was Lionel that had that house blown up, Clark."

"Lex was supposed to protect her! If I..."

"Look, there´s a lot of guilt going around..."

"Hey, Smallville! There´s someone on the phone for you," Lois interrupted them with a knock on the door.

"Tell whoever it is I´ll get back to him later," responded Clark.

"I tried to ask him for his phone number, but he said it was urgent."

"OK. I´ll be right up," he sighed, buttoning up his flannel shirt. "Must be about my internship application," he told his mum.

"Go, sweetie," smiled Martha, grabbing the soaked clothes.

Clark opened the bathroom door- half-expecting to find Lois eavesdropping- and traversed the kitchen to answer the phone call on hold.

"Hello?" he said, picking up the handset.

"Hello, Kal," responded a smug voice on the other side.

LEX´S PENTHOUSE- 1 p.m.

Chloe had woken up at around ten after spending half the night awake thinking over the events of the day and replaying the conversation she´d had with Lex before going to bed. She still couldn´t believe her reaction or the words she spat at him when he talked so possessively and passionately about her and Laura. It was as if by meeting Lex once again her old self- her real self- had resurrected. She was _awake_ for the first time in three years and wondered where this rebellious and stubborn young woman had been hiding. Maybe Lex was right; maybe she needed him around to feel alive.

He opened the front door of the penthouse to find Chloe comfortably perched on his sofa amidst scattered papers and scribbled notes. He looked at what she had on her lap and thanked his foresight; nothing could be left to chance with Chloe hanging around.

"I hope you don´t mind," she said, pointing at the laptop."You don´t have a PC so I used this to hook on the net. I needed to send a couple of e-mails, tell Jerry we´d be away for a few days. We left in such a hurry that I didn´t have time to talk to him in advance."

"It´s all right. I told you to make yourself at home," he smirked, picking up a few papers and perusing their contents with a poker face.

"I just... I guess I´m not the type to sit on my butt while things are happening around me. I simply couldn´t stay here doing nothing..."

"Don´t worry, Chloe. You´re welcome to use my laptop anytime. I´m not so sloppy as to keep corporative secrets where anyone could find them," he said smugly." And by anyone... I mean someone who used to be able to penetrate the best firewalls and crack any codes."

"Well, I haven´t used that particular talent in years."

"I´m sure it´ll come back. There are things which are like riding a bicycle," he said in a silky voice with a gleam in his eye. "Have you found anything interesting? On the net I mean. I already have an inventory of the penthouse," he added ironically.

"Are you accusing me of snooping around?" she cocked an eyebrow.

"You wouldn´t be the woman I fell in love with if you didn´t. We´ve always been two of a kind. We´ve never been able to resist digging into other people´s lives, particularly when we believe they´re hiding something from us," he responded, scanning a printed sheet.

"You can´t blame me for wanting to find answers."

"I don´t," he told her, leaving the sheet on the coffee table.

"Have you ever met Lois and my uncle Sam?" she asked looking him in the eye. "I entered this cool site where you can trace your ancestors and relatives and found out they´re in the area."

"I met Lois a few years ago... yes. She came to Smallville for your... funeral and ended up staying. You have another cousin, Lucy- an interesting character, " he smiled," the family´s black sheep. I don´t know what she´s up to now. The last time we heard of her she ran away with one of my Mercedes and $50,000 in bonds."

"What?"

"A long story. And none you should worry about."

"What about Uncle Sam?"

"Sam Lane´s Lois´ dad," he said curtly.

"Yes, I know that. I mean... have you met him? What kind of man is he?"

"I can´t claim to know him really well."

"But you´ve met him," she insisted.

"Briefly, yes."

"And?"

"He seems to be a very protective kind of guy. Have you had lunch yet?"

"Yes, sorry. It was past Laurie´s lunchtime. I left you something in the oven. Lex, why are you trying to sidetrack me?"

"I´m not."

"Then why is it that I have the impression you don´t want to talk about this."

"Hi!" Laurie smiled at Lex as she tiptoed quietly into the living room with her bear tucked under one arm.

"Hello, Laurie," he said warmly, thanking the girl´s timing crouching down to be at her eye level. "Did you sleep well last night?

"Uh huh, " she responded, nodding her head.

"What did you do while I was away?" he asked her, hearing the distant sound of a children´s TV programme in the entertainment room.

Chloe felt her eyes turn misty as she observed the exchange between father and daughter and noticed Lex´s faintly veiled hesitation before his hand caressed the girl´s cheek gently to brush a couple of stray hairs off her face. It was evident he wanted to be more tactile with the child and found the experience new to him. Chloe wondered what it must be like for someone used to being so confident to feel so awkward all of a sudden.

"Mommy said watch ´toons, but..." she pouted.

"What´s wrong?" he frowned.

"You don´t have the channel she usually watches at home," explained Chloe. "But that´s OK, Laurie, right?"

"Well... I suppose I c..." Lex began to say until he caught a discreet gesture of Chloe´s out of the corner of an eye, "... don´t spend too much time at home to know what channels I have," he added, seeing the blonde reporter relax.

"You don´t watch toons?" asked Laurie wide-eyed.

Lex saw disbelief on his daughter´s childish face and thanked God for having granted her a mum such as Chloe, who was making sure she had a healthy childhood, enjoying the simple pleasures of her age. Lex couldn´t remember ever watching cartoons while growing up- there had been no TV in his room and the only shows that the Luthor household used to tune in had to do with politics and the world market. Even now he could remember Lillian arguing with his father the one time she took him to the cinema to see Snow White their last winter together. Lionel thought there was more to learn from books and the ancient philosophers than in the dark room of a cinema watching a girlie film; he wasn´t going to allow her to make a sentimental weakling out of his heir.

"Tell you what," he responded to Laura in a gentle voice. "I´ll heat up something to eat and we can watch some together."

On hearing Lex´s suggestion the girl´s cherubic face lightened forgetting that a minute before she had been moping.

"Mommy, co´nut cookies?" asked the blonde sprite.

"Thanks for not flaunting your Luthor power back there. I know you´d love to change the orbit of a LuthorCorp satellite just to give your daughter the chance to watch every cartoon channel on earth or to send one of your minions on a shopping spree to get every animated movie in the market, but I´ve promised myself Laurie won´t be a spoilt brat. And I can assure you she´d have you wrapped around her little finger in no time."

"So says the unrelenting mother who´s baking her coconut cookies," he smirked, setting his lunch on a tray to take to the entertainment room while Chloe was busy sifting a bowl of flour and hunting Lex´s larder for the necessary ingredients.

"Smart ass. By the way, we haven´t finished our conversation. Has my uncle done something to earn the Luthor cold shoulder?" she probed, disposing of the egg shells.

"I have an old debt to settle with him. He made a decision for which I begrudge him and, though I´m trying to be understanding because I know where he was coming from... let´s say the fact that he´s _your_ uncle is keeping him in one piece," he confessed in an attempt to be as honest with Chloe as he could without actually telling her the whole story. "Does knowing I might act on my animosity towards someone spook you?" he added gravely, looking her in the eye.

"I remember enough to know you can be a dangerous man to cross. However, I also know you wouldn´t strike back without good cause. I´m aware there´s darkness in you but there´s also a whole other side to you."

"I´m afraid most people wouldn´t agree with you. And to be honest, although part of their dislike is unwarranted, there are many things I´ve done I´m not proud of. Given the chance I would change a couple of decisions I took not so long ago. There might be things in my life you won´t like, Chloe."

"As long as I can remember, I´ve always tried not to jump to conclusions about anything. I´m not into passing judgement on a person because of any preconceptions."

"I promise I´ll try to be honest with you, Chloe. However, there are some things which are non-negotiable."

"I assume we´re talking about LuthorCorp business here."

"Mostly."

"While doing my research after you called on me at the coffee shop I came across some disturbing reports concerning LuthorCorp´s experiments with refined meteor rocks."

"Ever since I moved to Smallville I´ve been studying them- I won´t deny that. We´ve been trying to find some positive application for something that has caused a lot of pain to numberless people. The majority of the town´s population has been affected by them in some way."

"Your white cell count and Laura´s, right?"

"Yes, you might see it as a curse, but we could have done worse. Believe me."

"All these freaks... I´ve been reading the electronic issues of The Torch. I was as obsessed with them as the media seems to believe you are now. Are all as dangerous as the ones I wrote about?"

"In my experience when it comes to them there´s no such thing as being too cautious."

Chloe opened the oven to remove the first batch of cookies and pondered whether it was the right time to ask him if the buzz which talked about a secret LuthorCorp project called 33.1 was just an urban legend or another Level 3 like the one she´d written about. She was itching to pursue her line of questioning already feeling the thrill of exercising her dormant reporter muscles. Still, there were other priorities to consider first- namely to find out who the people behind the threats to their family were. Funny; they´d been at Lex´s penthouse only a day and Chloe was already thinking of them three as a family.

"Have I ever shown any strange abilities?" she blurted out when a sudden flashback caught her unawares as she straightened up to set down her oven glove on the worktop.

"Apart from your uncanny ability to find yourself in the worst places at the most inconvenient times and shaking more than an occasional hornet´s nest?" he responded with a lopsided grin.

"I was thinking more in the line of meteor-induced powers," she said gravely before turning around and meeting his steel blue-grey eyes.

Lex looked at her with his mask of indifference firmly in place, wondering exactly what was going through her mind and if her question had been prompted by some recollection of hers or only by mere curiosity. Not only both their lives in Smallville had been filled with the bizarre, she had also acted out of character due to the green rocks more than once. Nevertheless, there was one particular occasion that remained branded in his mind because of its personal significance. No one apart from themselves had witnessed what was said in his study at the mansion, and he couldn´t remember ever feeling so vulnerable and exposed as he did the day he told Chloe he wanted his father to love him.

"You and Pete were bitten by a parasite in the Kawatche Caves."

"Pete?"

"Ross. His family owned Smallville´s Creamed Corn Factory until my father bought it and turned it into a fertiliser plant. I´ve never been on his Christmas list; he even tried to murder me once when he was under the effects of an ancient flower powered by green rocks. I couldn´t blame him for charging towards me that once, although he aimed at the wrong Luthor. It wasn´t me who broke the promise not to make changes to his family´s factory and ended up laying off the entire staff. "

"And how did the parasite affect me?"

"You? Well... it revealed the sexy teaser in you. You enjoyed flirting shamelessly with someone else in front of me and made jokes about my baldness. It was sheer torture; especially because I was doing my damnedest not to see you as a sexual being in those days. I didn´t envy Clark more than that morning I saw you in his arms."

"Clark?"

"Yes, Clark Kent," he clarified. "You remember him?" he asked calmly, trying not to unleash the jealousy that was threatening to spring up as he wondered whether her memories connected with Clark had resurfaced earlier than theirs.

"Not really. I saw his name in several articles in The Torch. He seemed to be always at the right place at the right time."

"You, Clark and Mr Ross used to be joined at the hip. Clark´s always been a boy scout. I suppose you´ve read about my miraculous rescue the day I arrived in Smallville," he added, seeing Chloe nod. "Selfless heroism´s the thing he´s stood out for- and many of us owe him a debt of gratitude," he conceded, pouring himself a glass of wine and setting it on the tray."He won´t be remembered by his contributions to the paper, though. Typing the menu for the school cafeteria can hardly be described as serious journalism," he smiled faintly.

"And my writing articles that only a rag like The Inquisitor would print can?"

Lex took a large sip of wine and felt a muscle on his face twitch. She might not remember Clark but even now she was ready to defend him. Her loyalty to her friends was one of the things Lex admired in her and yet, his jealous streak was always haunting him when it came to her and her close relationship with Clark. He knew it was a childish reaction because he had been sure of her love before the explosion. Unlike Lana, Chloe wasn´t fickle in her affections and alliances and still, Lex´s insecurity when it came to his own capacity to earn someone´s love and trust forever made him fear Clark´s ghost once again. He berated himself for his weakness; they knew each other too well to misinterpret the signs- he only had to look in her emerald eyes and hear the slight breathlessness in her voice when he was around to realise his feelings weren´t unrequited.

"Don´t belittle your talent, Chloe. Clark has never been and will never be the amazing reporter you are."

"_Was_."

"_Are. _Give it time. It´ll come back just like your memories."

"You said he´ll never be. Does it mean he´s still in journalism?"

"The last time I heard of him he was studying journalism at Central Kansas... with your cousin Lois."

"Lois? As in Lois Lane?"

"Yes," he said gravely ."Chloe, I know it´s killing you not to know more about your past life and that you´d like to see your family and let them know you´re alive. However, I don´t think it´d be the best move right now. Trust me. The fewer people are aware of it the better chance you´ll have of staying under the radar. And believe me, letting your cousin know you´re alive would be like posting the news on the front page of The Daily Planet."

"What difference would it make?" she exclaimed frustrated." These people already know who I am and where I live."

"It´s true, but if word got out you survived and that you were married to the man who died at that garage with Lionel Luthor, your life would become a freaking media circus and protecting you and Laura would be a nightmare. I don´t want to make things easier for these people than they already are, Chloe."

"I don´t know how long I´ll be able to handle being cooped up here, Lex."

"You mean cooped up here with _me_?" he corrected her.

"Mommy?" a childish voice interrupted them.

"Hi, sweetie," responded Chloe warmly, cleaning her hands with a tea towel and putting on a smile for Laurie´s benefit.

"Are you angry?" asked the girl in a shaky voice that signalled she was on the verge of tears.

"I´m sorry, Laura," replied Lex, crouching down to look at her in the eye. "Mommy and I were just talking some boring adult stuff. We didn´t want to scare you. Everything´s OK, honey. Are you ready to watch that animated film you picked?"

"Uh huh," she nodded, clutching at her teddy bear as Lex wiped away a couple of tears which were rolling down her cheeks.

"So, lead the way," he smiled reassuringly, grabbing the tray he had set down on the kitchen island. "Chloe," he added from the doorway," will you join us?"

"It´s OK. You go. I´m going to clean the mess I´ve made in your kitchen and take a shower," she responded with a small smile, turning around to start working on the dirty dishes.

"I wish things were different, Chloe. I hope I haven´t come across as an over-possessive bully that doesn´t want you to step out of his sight. I just want what´s best for both you."

"I know, Lex," she told him, blinking a few tears away.

"Are you OK?" he insisted, cursing Lionel Luthor for all the stumbling blocks on their road to happiness.

"I will be once you´ve found these bastards and make them pay. Go, Lex. You´ve missed enough time with your daughter already."

Lex looked at her back one last time torn by his urge to comfort her and his desire to share his first quality time with their daughter. He shouldn´t have had to choose between them and if God was merciful with him this once, they wouldn´t have to wait too long to be the family he´d always dreamt of and never thought he´d have.


	11. The Bad Penny

**CHAPTER 11: **The Bad Penny

_THE KAWATCHE CAVES_

"This place is gorgeous," said a wide-eyed Lois, looking at the writings and drawings on the cave walls. "How come you never mentioned this place, Smallville?" she asked reproachfully as she tried to climb up aided by a ledge of the rock so as to have a closer look at the hieroglyphs. "Who would have thought Hickville had its own hidden treasure?"

"Careful, Lois!" he shouted, wondering what he´d done to deserve having to hang out with Lois the first free weekend in months and, above all, having her snooping around the caves.

"Aren´t you coming up?"

"I can see perfectly fine from here."

"Don´t tell me you´re afraid of heights," she laughed, keeping her grip on the rock with only one hand. "Remind me to introduce you to the beauties of rappel. I´ll ask the General to get us permission to do some practice on the base. We´ll toughen you up, Smallville."

"I´m not afraid of heights. Anyway, of what use would climbing be to me on the farm or in the bullpen?"

"You never know when something can come in handy."

"OK. Why don´t you climb down now? I think we have enough material already."

"My, Clark, why the rush? You´ve looked uncomfortable ever since we set foot in these caves. Do those paintings of a two-headed creature give you the creeps or something? I think they´re cool. Remind me to thank Lana next time we see her."

"Lana?" asked Clark, swallowing a sudden lump in his throat. "I thought you´d found out about the caves when you borrowed that book from the local library."

"No, I bumped into Lana while doing the groceries. She was the one that told me about these caves. Besides, aren´t they supposed to be under LuthorCorp´s control? I thought why not? We could have our research done and, at the same time, piss off a Luthor. I simply couldn´t resist the chance," she smiled ironically. "It´s a pity you´re no longer in speaking terms with Lex. Lana said something about a Dr... Walden? he once hired to study the hieroglyphs. Maybe I´ll pay Lex a visit and see if he can share something about his findings. You know, play a little on his guilty conscience," she added with a speculative look.

"No!" exploded Clark.

"Wow! I thought you didn´t care about him. You want to spare his feelings now?"

"I´m just worried about your safety."

"I´m a big girl, Clark. Besides, the Luthors kind of owe my family for what happened to Chlo´."

"You should let sleeping dogs lie."

"At breakfast I got the impression you were moving in for the kill. Has anybody ever told you you´re one lousy liar? You´ve been thinking about visiting Luthor; you just don´t want me to tag along. Maybe you should follow your own advice, Clark."

"I don´t know what you´re talking about."

"Lana´s free now. If she means to you as much as you seem to believe, why not forget about Luthor and see if you can rekindle that old flame? She gave me the impression of still being interested. I think she´d rather have you focused 100% on her than on a pissing contest with Lex to show who´s more macho."

"I don´t remember asking you for advice on my love life."

"Well, you appeared to need it and since I´ve had more experience than you in the field I thought I could share some pearls of wisdom with you. Besides, by helping you I would be helping myself. Being around a grizzly bear isn´t my idea of fun."

"Nobody´s forcing you to stay."

"I promised your mum I´d give her a hand with a few phone calls to rally some support for the new bill, and I´ve no intention of breaking my word. And... you and I have some work to do, buddy. I´m not going to flunk History because you don´t have the guts to fight for what you want. So quit mopping around and be a man," ranted Lois before walking out of the caves.

Clark was fuming because what really irked him wasn´t so much that Lois was always meddling with things that weren´t her business as the fact that she could read him so well. Perhaps she was right and, were circumstances different, he might consider putting behind the feeling of betrayal he experienced every time he thought of Lana, and try to woo her again. Funny how things could change in the wink of an eye; his love life was the least of his worries now. He wondered how long he´d be able to deflect Lois´ curious nature and how he´d manage to keep everything to himself around his mum.

He stomped out of the caves and walked to where the truck was parked. Lois was already sitting in the driver´s seat, her fingers tapping nervously on the wheel, and Clark felt a twinge of guilt for having to keep secrets from her this time. He shook his head, telling himself it was for the best. God only knew how things would turn out if he opened his mouth.

_ROUTE 40- SMALLVILLE´S OUTSKIRTS- TWO HOURS LATER_

Martha´s interview with Henry Small had helped Lois clear her head of a certain farm boy in a plaid shirt who had her completely on edge. She thanked God their research was almost done because she didn´t know how long they´d manage to curve their urge to kill each other.

"That went quite well, Mrs Kent, don´t you think?" Lois broke the silence in the truck´s cabin, shooting a sidelong glance at Martha, who was in the passenger´s seat.

"Yes. His contacts with the environmentalists will be helpful to pass the bill," she agreed, looking out of the window to check out how far they were from the farm. She´d been distracted all morning, anxious to see Clark again and talk things over with him before he did something all might come to regret.

"Is everything all right, Mrs Kent?" asked Lois, noticing the older woman´s restlessness.

"Yes... well... Lois, I... er... I meant to ask you... Have you noticed anything unusual going on with Clark?"

"Unusual?" she frowned her brow. "He´s been grumpier and he definitely needs to get out more. He´s moping too much if I may say so."

"Well, it´s been really hard for him to see Lex and Lana together... but I wasn´t referring to his love life. Does he confide in you?"

"Who? Clark? You´re kidding, "she snickered. "He´s like Fort Knox. He knows more about me than I´ll ever know about him. He even knows what my favourite underwear designer is- not that he´s ever seen me modelling it, mind you. No, Clark doesn´t talk much about himself. What I can tell you is that he´s been quieter than usual ever since we left Central Kansas. He was as white as I sheet when we set off; I thought his favourite dog had died on him or something. And then... I don´t know... call me crazy if you will, but I have a hunch he´s planning something."

"Like what?" asked Martha apprehensively.

"I don´t know...I´ve been getting a kind of Avenging Angel vibe off him lately... I told him he should forget about Luthor and work on his relationship with Lana if she´s what he wants. Talking about the cheerleading brunette, isn´t that her car?" responded Lois, pulling up on the farm´s driveway.

No sooner had Lois said the name of Clark´s eternal flame than she appeared on the stairs leading to the front door. It was evident even at a distance that she was distraught. Martha hoped this was their last fallout because, as much as she wanted Clark to be happy, she was convinced Lana wasn´t the one for him. Although Mrs Kent had never thought of herself as a resentful person, seeing her son standing despondent at the kitchen´s door she couldn´t help but experience a sudden flare of resentment towards this young woman whose insecurities and fickleness had made her son suffer so much.

"Something tells me that didn´t go so well," murmured Lois before opening the driver´s door.

Martha´s gaze followed Lana as the girl broke into a sprint to get to her car and drive away in a cloud of dust. The older woman wondered how this would affect Clark´s current state of mind and prayed it didn´t drive him to do something foolish about the contents of the manila envelope she had stumbled upon.

_LEX´S PENTHOUSE_

Chloe was taking a shower when Lex´s mobile started to vibrate in his pocket disrupting the quiet atmosphere which surrounded both father and daughter like a cocoon. Laura had fallen asleep halfway through the film and ended up reclining her head on Lex´s lap, taking the billionaire once again by surprise. Human touch after Lillian´s death had been alien to him, and the fact that a child could seek his warmth and trust him implicitly would never cease to amaze him.

"Luthor," he said in a low voice, turning off the TV and trying not to stir the girl. "Where´s Jackson?" he asked tersely. "Put him on the phone... I thought I´d been clear when I said I didn´t want any interruptions... I don´t expect you to be a machine, Jackson, but I trusted you´d pass my orders on to your subordinates if you had to do something as prosaic as going to the toilet. No, leave it. I´ll take care of it. And, Jackson, present yourself at LuthorCorp tomorrow morning." He snapped the mobile shut, closed his eyes and leant back against the headrest of the sofa taking a deep breath.

Chloe was blow drying her hair when there was a knock on the bathroom door. She turned off the device and fastened her bathrobe more securely before opening the door just a crack.

"Sorry to disturb you, Chloe. I´ve got something to see to. It won´t take long. Laurie´s dozed off on the sofa in the entertainment room. Would you rather I carried her to the nursery first?" Lex informed her, focusing on Chloe´s face in order not to add to her evident discomfiture.

"No, it´s all right. She always takes a nap in the afternoons and that sofa´s very roomy," she smiled trying to hide how vulnerable she felt around him with her damp hair, her face stripped of make-up and only a terry robe as a barrier between them.

"I´ve moved the coffee table away and scattered some extra cushions around."

"I don´t think she´ll fall, but that was a wise precaution," she responded, noticing his barely disguised restlessness as he darted a look towards the foyer. "Go. We´ll be all right," she allayed his concern, curious of what seemed to have cracked his impenetrable coolness for a short spell.

"I´m not leaving if that´s what you´re wondering, Chloe," he told her perceiving what might be going through her head.

"OK."

"We´ll be getting answers soon, Chloe, and we´ll nail them. Trust me. You´re safe with me. I won´t let anything happen to either of you," he assured the young woman, grazing her cheek with his hand, unable to resist the urge to touch her.

"I know," she replied quietly, holding his gaze and feeling the electricity course through her body.

"I´ll let you get dressed," he said walking away and reining in his urge to taste that mouth which was beckoning him with its slightly parted lips.

Chloe shut the bathroom door and leant her back against it with closed eyes. She was trembling and her body was quivering after the brief exchange. What would happen when everything that was standing between them was no longer there? Would she spontaneously combust the moment he touched her? Judging by the reaction that soft caress on her cheek had provoked in her, she had no doubt she´d burn.

Lex grabbed the doorknob and, taking a few seconds to school his features, he turned it to reveal the unexpected visitor standing in the corridor.

"Hi," said the guest demurely.

"Hi. Are you feeling OK?" he asked, noticing the red-rimmed eyes.

"I didn´t know where else to go."

No surprise there; he´d heard those very same words dozens of times in the last six years. He thought about the two women who were now in his life just a few metres away and wondered how long he´d be able to keep their existence a secret if he let this visitor in. There were two options open- either he could shut the door in her face and ruin the smooth break-up he´d accomplished a few days ago or welcome her in and risk having her discover the truth and divulge the news to the world- namely, to a tall dark farm boy. Somehow the bloodshot eyes told him the latter wasn´t likely to happen at the moment.

"You know I´m always here for my friends, Lana," he replied, stepping aside to let her in.

"Thank you, Lex. You´re the only one I´ve got left," she confessed with a sob.

"Lana, I´m sure that isn´t true. Is this about Clark?" he sighed with a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"I was wrong, Lex. I thought that... he was what I wanted... I´ve been deluding myself for so long, putting my life on hold for someone who´ll never trust me. Now I realise what I´ve let pass me by," she replied, raising her chocolate doe eyes to meet his.

`Oh no. I´m not playing this game again,´ he told himself, seeing where the conversation was going. "Getting over someone who´s been the centre of your universe for so long can´t be accomplished overnight, Lana. You have to give yourself time to grieve.´

Urged by her innate curiosity and the nagging feeling that something paramount was about to happen, Chloe took a detour on her way to her quarters in time to hear a feminine voice say: "I know what I want now. I want to give us a second chance, Lex." Whatever qualms about eavesdropping the blonde reporter might have had flew out of the window the moment the words left Lana´s mouth. She took a step forward to have a look at the woman who was trying to reintroduce herself in Lex´s life, and she was assaulted by a sudden pang of jealousy and possessiveness when the brunette dared touch his cheek.

Lex grabbed Lana´s wrist to remove her hand gently and, shaking his head, he replied calmly: "I understand your bitterness, Lana; but I don´t have time for these games. I won´t fall in this trap again."

Chloe released the breath she´d been holding and unclenched her tight fists, grimacing when she felt the way her nails had buried in the skin of her palms. Finding the brunette just a breath away from the object of her desire had triggered an avalanche of memories from her adolescence in Smallville. Lana Lang- that was the young woman´s name. Chloe could see a very romantic scene at the Kents´ barn play before her eyes as if it´d happened only yesterday. She could still remember the feeling of betrayal which had pushed her towards the deadly web weaved by Lionel Luthor.

"Mommy," mumbled Laura´s sleepy voice, putting an end to Chloe´s trance and stunning the two interlocutors into silence.

"Ch... Chloe?" stuttered Lana wide-eyed, looking from the blonde young woman in a deep purple robe to the man she´d hoped would take her back.

"We need to talk," Lex told his former fiancée gravely.

_AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER_

As the doors of the lift dinged close Lionel´s first born bid a definite farewell to what could have been the biggest mistake in his life. Ill-timed as Lana´s visit had been, the unfolding of events had lifted a weight off his shoulders and killed any ideas Nell´s niece might have had of winning his heart- he didn´t have time to put up with immature games or to engage in cunning plans to wound Clark for his lack of faith in him and their friendship. He was determined to focus his energy on the one person who had believed in him and loved him just as he was. This was the second time Chloe´d come to him for protection and he was damn if he´d fail her again because he knew he´d be a dead man in life if he were to lose her and their baby once more.

"I don´t like her," Chloe snapped to Lex´s back while he removed the stopper from a decanter and poured them two snifters of brandy.

"Are you sure?" he replied smugly, ambling to the sofa where she was sitting.

Chloe knew she´d been tense and curtly during the whole tête-à-tête but thought she´d behaved admirably controlled all things considered. The brunette had turned up at the penthouse intent on seducing him, for crying out loud!

"You don´t trust her either," she said matter-of-factly, accepting the drink. "If you did, you´d have told her the truth," she added, shooting a glance at Laura, who was busy with her building blocks.

"I don´t owe her any explanations. And you´re right. Lana´s always been fickle in her allegiances."

"Do you think she suspects anything?"

"Laurie looks a lot like you, Chloe. She might not connect the dots. Do you regret the fact that I´m her father?"

"She has your eyes. And, no, my question didn´t have anything to do with being ashamed of you or who you are, Lex. "

Looking into the crackling fire to hide from her the emotion he was sure must be reflected in his eyes, he responded, "You shouldn´t worry so much about Lana. She knows better than to betray me."

"A scorned woman can be a very treacherous creature," she stated, looking at him over the brim of her glass. "Are you sure she isn´t a Shannon Bell in the making?"

Another man would have choked on his beverage, but he´d learnt how to appear cool and unflappable when taken by surprise.

"I´m no longer the man who could drive someone like Shannon to murder. I treated a lot of women abominably, Chloe, and I have no excuse for that. Everything changed with you. Is this a subtle ruse to find out how many there have been after you?"

"I´d be a fool to believe or expect you to have remained a monk all these years. What kind of an egotist would I be to demand faithfulness of a man who believed me to be dead?" she stated calmly, setting down the empty snifter on the end table.

"That night at the opera... I had hit rock bottom," he started to explain.

"There´s no need for you to justify your actions, Lex," she told him, getting up from the sofa and chiding herself for her uncharacteristic lack of control over her emotions. Her voice was telling him she didn´t care, but her heart was saying something different. He had to be blind not see the way the thought of he and another woman was affecting her

"Chloe," he stopped her, grabbing her hand and standing up to be able to look at her in the face.

"I have to get dressed," she mumbled, feeling her heart racing in her chest as the vanilla of his perfume invaded her nostrils.

"There were no more one-night stands after her and... nothing ever happened between Lana and me," he confessed, observing Chloe´s expressive face closely. "I´m not saying I´ve remained celibate..."

"Why are you telling me this, Lex?" she cut him off.

"I just want you to know there´s no reason to be jealous. There´s no one to be jealous of."

"And who says I´m jealous?" she tensed.

"You should have looked at yourself in the mirror while Lana was around. For a minute there I was tempted to ask her if she´d got vaccinated against rabies," he said smugly. "I know what it feels like," he added softly, grazing her right cheek and tilting her chin up to bore his eyes into her. "The moment I found out you were alive.... that another man had seen you naked... that he had touched you... that he´d known what it was like to be enveloped in your warmth and never want to leave you... I was blinded by jealousy. It doesn´t matter he´s dead; I´m still jealous of every kiss that he robbed you and of every morning he woke up to find you lying asleep by his side."

"Lex, " she panted as his thumb traced her lips before leaning into her with the intention of tasting the sweet nectar of her mouth once again.

Chloe closed her eyes and was assaulted by a sensory overload- her fuller breasts, her taut peaks chafing against the terry robe which covered her nudity, the pulsing of her feminine core, the warm dampness that was pooling there and the way her skin burnt wherever his hands or his breath touched her. He´d promised he´d stay away and here he was, his lips hovering millimetres away from hers and she couldn´t think of anything else. He was going to kiss her and she was going to let him. She expected it. She craved it. However, fate had other plans in store; the very moment his lips brushed hers the buzzing of Lex´s mobile phone broke the spell.

The billionaire pulled away and, half-cursing half-welcoming the interruption, extracted the mobile from his pocket to look at the caller ID.

"Chloe," he managed to voice, noticing the way she fidgeted with the lapels of her robe in an attempt to cover the creamy swell of her bosom. "There´s nothing to be ashamed or guilty of. We´re both human and there´s no denying we want each other," he went on saying, feeling the insistent vibration of the phone in his hand. "Maybe this wasn´t the right place or time," he added quietly, shooting a glance at Laurie, who was finishing an intricate construction with her blocks. `But that place and time will come sooner than you expect it,´ his eyes seemed to say. `God knows I would have found it hard to settle with just a kiss,´ he finished in his mind, holding her bright emerald gaze as he flipped the mobile open. "Luthor."

"Make the arrangements. We should meet," replied a cool voice at the other end of the line.


	12. The Voice Behind the Threats

**CHAPTER 12: **The Voice Behind the Threats

MONDAY- SECOND LEVEL BASEMENT- LUTHORCORP PLAZA

"I want you to double our security. Nobody goes in or out of the building without my authorisation. And if you suspect any breach- no matter how small- you isolate them both in the panic room. I don´t care if she kicks or screams, you hear me? You have my sanction to handcuff or gag her if necessary to ensure her safety," Lex spat on the phone. "Don´t you let her sweet talk you. And, Samuels, I hope you´ll live up to my expectations. I wouldn´t like for you to follow in Jackson´s footsteps. If anything happens to either of them on your watch, you´ll wish you were dead," he finished snapping the mobile shut and clenching his fists tightly.

God! As much as he loved Chloe´s relentlessness this was one of those occasions on which he wished she were easier to manipulate for his own peace of mind. Now that he knew the identity of the man pulling the strings behind the whole operation Lex´s paranoia had increased tenfold.

"Problems?" asked the older man smugly.

"Nothing I can´t handle," replied Lex grimly, walking back to the table where the dossier of the man behind the threats was lying open.

"I used to wonder which of the two cousins would be a bigger headache to the men in their lives," chuckled Sam Lane, puffing a ring of cigar smoke.

"How´s this possible?" mumbled the young billionaire, leafing through the folder. He couldn´t wrap his mind around the idea that the man was still alive and kicking.

"It also took me by surprise I must say," confessed a sobered General. "What are you going to do about it?"

"That´s no concern of yours. I´ll take it from here."

"Listen, Luthor. I´m truly sorry about the unexpected derivations of the decision I took three years ago. I too would bear a gigantic grudge against the man that kept me away from my loved ones- no matter how honourable his reasons- but there´s no way in hell I´ll stay away from this. Chloe and your daughter are my family too."

"I have an old debt to settle with this man and I won´t be deprived of the privilege of seeing him pay the way it happened with my father," responded Lex grimly." I want to talk with your man."

"My man? That guy´s a disgrace to the force."

"Let´s not talk about semantics here, General. Arrange a meeting."

"You´ll be wasting your time, Lex. He doesn´t know more than he´s already confessed. Believe me; there´s no soldier on this earth that would resist that kind of questioning without breaking."

"This man´s slipped through my fingers twice," gritted Lex, shaking the report in his hand. "I won´t let that happen again. If we don´t get his location now, he´ll vanish without leaving a trace."

"What about Ilianovich?"

"Lt. Graves was his contact. He never met the boss face to face. Do you think Graves won´t give everything away?"

"He either plays for us or gets transferred to a Polar Station; I still have my contacts at the Pentagon. I´d be more worried about the doc."

"Don´t. I´ve had his wife flown to an avant-garde clinic in Switzerland to get the treatment she needs," Lex informed him, pulling up a chair to sit across from him.

Ilianovich. The sixtysomething had been smuggled into America all the way from Mother Russia by Lionel Luthor himself. The engineer was a wizard in the field of communications and technology used for espionage. Lex cursed his own obsession with Clark and whatever the flannel boy was hiding. Planning his revenge on Jonathan´s adoptive son had blinded the billionaire and he´d lost sight of the ball for a minute- enough time to make the whole project vulnerable. Missing something as important as the serious illness which was affecting Ilianovich´s wife- a liability that had been used to infiltrate LuthorCorp- was definite proof that it was high time he put a stop to this desperate need to unravel the mystery of Clark Kent; he couldn´t afford making a reckless faux-pas now that his decisions could affect not just him but the two most important people in his life.

"Argus is still non-operational. That much I can tell you," stated the General. "We´d need to stall them without making them suspicious. They´ve been very careful at the time of contacting their insiders but if they don´t get what they want soon, they´ll get desperate. You´ve got to pray they make a wrong move. They trusted Chloe would be able to pressure you to either hand the project over to them or to let them join in the business. Two days had gone by..."

"I´ll give them something. Ilianovich will contact Graves and offer them the codes in exchange for protection."

"Do you think they´ll buy it?"

"They will if they´re the right codes."

"You aren´t planning to hand them the key to the monster, are you?" glared Lois´ father.

"It´s a risk that I´m willing to run if it makes this snake come out of his lair. It´s the only way to locate a sneaky chameleon like him, Lane. Besides, they´d still have to get one important piece of the puzzle and I doubt they´ll be able to get to it so easily."

LEX´S PENTHOUSE

Chloe was drinking her fifth dose of freshly-brewed coffee of the morning when she heard Lex unlock the front door of the penthouse. She stopped pacing up and down the living room and tightened the hold on the mug she was cradling in both hands in a futile attempt to dispel the chill that had settled in her bones. Calmly she headed to the foyer to seek him out- her footsteps muffled by the thick carpet which lined the corridor. By the time she reached the hall he had divested himself of his tie and was undoing the first couple of buttons of his immaculate white shirt. It was evident he hadn´t noticed her presence for she was certain he wouldn´t have allowed her to see him lose his trademark cool poise.

His black briefcase was lying still shut on the console table but with its clasps unfastened as if he´d been in the process of opening it and had second thoughts about it. Lex´s weight was resting on his arms as he lay heavily on the attaché case; his hands gripping the shell so tight that they had blanched. Chloe could sense the pent-up energy exuding from him in the tense muscles of his back and his neck.

He took a deep breath and unclenched his jaws, trying to collect himself while he went over the options and analysed how each alternate course of action could impact on his rekindled relationship with Chloe. He wanted to protect her and yet he knew that lying to her or hiding part of what he´d discovered could mean losing her trust and maybe pushing her to take a step which might make her and Laurie more vulnerable.

"I promise I won´t do anything rash," said Chloe startling him. "Just tell me the truth," she added meeting his eyes in the mirror hanging in front of him.

"Why did you try to deceive my security, Chloe? You came to me for help. Why were you leaving?" he responded, turning around to face her.

"Who is he?"

"Answer my question first, Chloe. What happened after I left that convinced you to put your life and Laura´s in danger? I thought you felt safe here. "

"It´s not that, Lex. "

"Is it because of what almost happened yesterday morning? I won´t apologise for feeling the way I do. We were doing nothing wrong, Chloe," he said in a slightly raspy voice.

"I don´t want to talk about it now."

"OK. We won´t discuss what we feel now but I just want to know if it has anything to do with your urge to leave the penthouse after I left."

"What´s in that briefcase that you aren´t sure I should see?" she asked, taking a few steps towards the console table.

"Chloe, answer me," he stopped her, grabbing her left arm.

"You said you wouldn´t pressure me," she replied with glassy eyes.

He looked into her bright emerald orbs as the tears welled up in them and kicked himself inwardly for being the cause of her distress.

"Chloe..."

"I got a phone call..." she said in a quivery voice.

"What?"

"I talked to him again. I want to see the bastard´s face."

"What did he say?" asked Lex in a controlled voice as he opened the briefcase and picked up the dossier he´d stashed away.

"It all comes back, doesn´t it? When is it going to stop?" she sobbed, shivering when her eyes alighted on the photos and the name printed on the first page of the dossier.

"What did he want Chloe?" he murmured, rubbing her back. "Are you sure it was him?"

"I would recognise the voice of the man who threatened my baby anywhere."

"I´ll need your mobile. It´s a long shot because I don´t think he´d have been so foolish as to jeopardise everything by making a traceable phone call. Unless it´s a trap."

"He has my mom, Lex. She´s... she´s the one who made the call... they caught her before she could tell me... where they have her."

"Chloe... how do you know it was her? This man´s as manipulative as my father was. What if he did everything to have you fall in his clutches?"

"And what if... she is, Lex? I lost ...my father for a stupid... adolescent mistake. I won´t have my mother´s death... on my conscience," she hiccupped.

"Nobody´s going to die," he murmured in her ear as he pressed her to his chest and she dissolved into tears.

SOMEWHERE IN METROPOLIS

The sun was setting when Clark pulled up in front of the old abandoned building. He´d been reining in his urge to superspeed all the way from the farm to come face to face with the man who had once again barged in his life threatening not only to expose his secret but to harm those close to him if he failed to comply with his requests. Only Martha´s insistence on having a mother-son talk after Lana´s visit and the need to keep a façade of normalcy in front of the naturally suspicious Lois had stalled Clark for a while. He had managed to reassure his mother that he´d be careful and not pursue any personal vendettas and then dropped Lois at Metropolis city centre for her to do some shopping before driving to the address he´d jotted down.

He did a quick scanning of the premises and located just three men- two of them bodyguards judging by their body posture and the guns they were packing. The third one was playing with a very special rosary Clark remembered only too well. Jonathan´s adoptive son knew that once he crossed the door there would be very little he could do; it would be so easy to seal the doors now and set fire to the derelict building with the men trapped inside. It would put an end to Clark´s worries and free The Big Apricot of three specimens of the worst scum. Kal might do it and manage to sleep at night but Clark Kent hadn´t been raised that way.

"Hello. It´s been a long time, Kal. I´m glad you´ve decided to pick up my gauntlet," said the fiftysomething Clark recognised by his distinctly non-American accent and the colour of his eyes. "Surprised to see me alive? Come, come. Take a seat."

"This isn´t a social call," responded the farm boy tersely, standing a few metres away from the long table that would have looked better in a boardroom.

"Oh!" exclaimed the older man with a knowing smile, lifting his right hand which held the rosary made of Kryptonite beads. "Sorry about this. A wise precaution. We wouldn´t like any accidents to happen, would we? So... "

"I want to see her," snapped Clark, taking a few steps back as the man stood up.

"I´m afraid I don´t have her."

"Then why did you send me the pictures?"

"I needed to call your attention. You know, you and I aren´t that different. We were both betrayed by our best friend and lied to by a Luthor. Why don´t you ask your former buddy Lex where Ms Sullivan is?"

"What do you want from me?"

"We can both help each other. I can help you get your revenge on Luthor for hiding from you that Chloe was alive, for stealing you your girlfriend and for whatever you deem him responsible and you can give me a hand to secure my own retribution- the one that Lionel promised me before he got shot by Fairchild."

"I´ll never associate with scum like you."

"I´m afraid you have no alternative if you want your mother and that lovely Miss Lang to keep breathing. Besides, you seem to forget I know your little secret- I´d never understood Lionel´s fascination with you until I saw you in action. You know, you were part of the bargain. I promised him the `source´ to cure him from his terminal cancer... Oh! You didn´t know?... If the good doctor hadn´t shot him, the old man would have probably lasted a month. I planned to hand you over to him in exchange for LuthorCorp´s latest defence project; then my business with you would have been over. Lex should have known better than to betray his own flesh and blood; Lionel wanted him on his knees as much as I. We had him where we wanted him. Unfortunately, all the staged shooting, the fake blood and your miraculous well-timed intervention were for nothing. He ended up in the loony house and your little friend had to go and spoil it all by making him listen to Lionel´s confession. Now, with Lionel out of the picture and Lex resisting to cooperate I had to rearrange the pawns on my chessboard. This morning I got my checkmate... and you´re my secret weapon to behead the king," he explained to a kryptonite-weakened Clark."Bring me the blueprints, Jeff," he told one of his minions." Let´s put your freak abilities to good use, shall we, Kal?" smiled Morgan Edge smugly, clearing the table to plan his next step.

Lois cursed under her breath from her hiding place. She had known Clark was keeping things from her and Martha, and a sixth sense had told her he was onto something- a fact which had led her to jump into a taxi and follow the red truck to the old warehouse. However, what she´d seen and heard was well beyond her expectations. The Crime Lord of Metropolis was alive and kicking, Clark was a meteor freak and... the body they´d buried in Smallville´s cemetery three years ago wasn´t her cousin´s.


	13. Secrets

**CHAPTER 13**: Secrets

Half an hour after finding out what had made Chloe want to sneak away, they were driving in a Mercedes with stained-glass windows to the labs located in a restricted area of LuthorCorp Plaza where Ilianovich was working on Argus. Even though Lex knew better than to believe in Edge's apparent oversight, he was also aware that they were running out of time and that, so far, the call made by Chloe's alleged mother was their only lead to establish the whereabouts of his late father's associate.

Chloe looked out of the car window with haunted eyes, eyes that weren't really seeing.

_`Mom! Mom! Mom, mom, I want you to be the first to read it. "Long live the Loch Ness monster." Mr. Hedges said it was my best story yet -- even better than the one about the alien abduction,' said Young Chloe enthusiastically as she rushed into the living-room still carrying her school bag.` Something tells me those aren't happy tears. What's wrong?' she added, noticing Moira's_ _misty red-rimmed eyes._

_`I'm so proud of you... my little cub reporter. Chloe, I'm so -- I'm so sorry,' replied the older woman, grazing her daughter's cheek._

_`Wait. For what? You didn't do anything?' asked the young girl with a puzzled frown._

_`It's time, Mrs. Sullivan,' a doctor in a white pinafore butted in as two male nurses approached Chloe's mum._

_`Mom, who are those people? Where are you going?' shouted the girl with patent despair in her voice._

'_Mommy's just going on a little vacation,' sniffled Mrs Sullivan._

'_By yourself?' queried Chloe as tears welled up in her expressive green eyes. _

"Chloe," said Lex softly, stretching out his right arm over Laurie's lap to cover the blonde reporter's hand with his own.

'_Don't you worry. Your daddy's gonna take good care of you,' responded Moira, trying to assuage her daughter's fears._

'_But nobody goes on a vacation by themselves. When are you coming back?' insisted the little girl in tears as her mother wrapped her tightly in her arms._

"Chloe," he insisted to get her attention.

"Don't leave me," she choked out."I don't want you to leave me," she repeated with a sob, still reliving a long-repressed memory of her childhood.

Lex swallowed the lump in his throat when he saw the hurt in her emerald depths as she slowly turned around coming out of her trance.

"Chloe, love, what's wrong?" he murmured, tightening the hold on her hand and shooting a worried look at their daughter, who had fallen asleep between them. "I'm not going anywhere," he said softly, massaging the knotted muscles of her neck.

"I know," she responded quietly, snuggling closer and laying her head on Lex's shoulder.

"Then, what's worrying you? Do you want to talk about it?" he offered, burying his nose in her chamomile-scented hair and revelling in the fact that she'd made the first move to breach the physical distance they'd tried to maintain.

"I remembered something," she gulped, inhaling the soothing masculine perfume.

"It didn't sound like a happy memory," he murmured.

"It was about... my mom," she confessed. "When we were... did I ever mention her?" she asked hesitantly.

"Once. It was a hurtful topic, so I didn't pressure for you to share more than you were willing to."

"What did I tell you about her?"

"Not much. Just that she had up and left one morning and that neither you nor Gabe ever heard of her again."

"So she is alive."

"There's no evidence to the contrary. I offered to track her down. But you pleaded with me not to. You said you wanted nothing to do with a woman who had abandoned her own daughter when she needed her the most."

"I'm not sure she wanted to leave me..." she said shakily as fresh tears gathered in her eyes.

"What did you see, Chloe?" he asked, pressing a soft kiss on her hair.

Chloe fiddled with a couple of undone buttons of Lex's dress shirt as she pondered whether to tell him she thought her mother had been institutionalised. Would his feelings for her change if he knew there was a fair chance she'd end up like her mom? Would she ever do to their child what Moira had done to her? She loved Laura so much... and Lex...

"You don't have to tell me if you aren't ready," he continued when the silence dragged on.

"I want to. It's just that... " she whispered, lifting her head from his shoulder to look him straight in the eye.

"I understand," he told her, brushing a couple of damp hairs off her face.

"No, you don't," she replied "How could you?" she added, feeling him tense. "I'm sorry," she rushed to say, fearing she'd clam up.

"It's OK," he said calmly, his poker face not giving anything away.

"No, it's not. I didn't mean it that way," she tried to explain. "I want to share it with you. I just... don`t know how. I don't want you... to look at me differently," she confessed with haunted eyes.

"Chloe..." he said huskily, wiping away the two big tears that rolled down her cheeks," whatever it is, it will never change what I feel for you."

Chloe wanted to believe what he said was true, but how could he be so sure if he didn't know all the facts? Who would have known a few days ago when this man entered her cafeteria that she'd be so desperate not to lose him and his love? She'd never felt this way about Phil and, as sad as she'd been about her late husband's passing, she hadn't experienced that sense of hopelessness that seized her when she thought of ever losing the man sitting beside her.

A slight tremor shook Lex's body when Chloe turned her head slightly to one side to brush her lips against the hand which was still grazing her cheek and then leant forward and assaulted his mouth with a daring and desperate kiss. Her sudden ardour caught him so completely unaware that it took him a few seconds to respond, time enough for her to start to recoil as if she were ashamed of her spontaneity and her neediness and for him to turn the tables and transform her desperate kiss into a long languid caress. With every gentle brush of his lips against hers and every tentative stroke of his tongue he teased her until she let him communicate her, with a gesture of intimacy he'd longed for days, what he'd just promised her in words.

Chloe knew now without a shadow of a doubt that what she'd believed would happen when Lex touched her again was nothing but the truth; she was burning and floating all at once. And she was so lost in the kiss, she felt so alive after years of being anesthetised, that for as long as their lips were fused and they breathed as one there was nothing to be afraid of, there existed no foe- tangible or not- they couldn't conquer.

Lex could hardly contain a moan when she stroked the bump on his head and his taste buds were engulfed once again in the flavour of chocolate and mint he'd been missing these last three years. Kissing Chloe was as intoxicating as ever. The moment she'd opened to him, time stood still; so much so that when he finished the kiss- albeit reluctantly- he was surprised to find out no more than a minute had elapsed.

On feeling the loss of his lips upon hers, Chloe fluttered her eyelids open to find Lex's intense blue-grey orbs focused on her thoroughly kissed mouth with clear tender possessiveness reflected in them while his thumb brushed the delicate column of her neck to feel the thumping of her still galloping pulse.

"We've arrived," he said with a small smile, seeing her blush when it dawned on her they were in the back seat of one of Lex's expensive cars- not a limousine with a glass partition- and that the driver must have witnessed everything. "Thomas is paid to be discreet," he reassured her when she shot a glance at the chauffeur standing outside the vehicle in what must be the underground garage of LuthorCorp.

"Mommy," mumbled a sleepy Laura, rubbing her eyes with her fists.

"Yes, Laurie. I'm here," responded the blonde reporter, picking her up and sitting her on her lap. "You know Mommy loves you lots and lots, don't you baby?" she asked in a raspy voice pressing the girl tightly to her chest, fighting to get in check the tears that were threatening to fall once again as a result of the disturbing recollection which was still fresh in her mind. Their baby was so small yet and she'd been put through so much in such a short time. Chloe had been so afraid of losing her when she found out Lex was the son of the man who´d tried to snatch Laura away from her. Now she knew that would never happen and that the threat of separation might come from her very own nature.

"Lots," answered the girl, clinging to her neck and pressing a wet kiss on her cheek." Don't be sad," she added in a muffled voice.

"I`m not, baby," she hugged her, meeting Lex's enigmatic look over Laura's head.

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Secret," Laura whispered close to her mother's ear.

Lex observed the close connection between Chloe and their child and remembered the one he used to have with his own mother- a deep loving bond Lionel had done his best to try to undermine to make him into the son he'd always wanted. Eager as Lex was to have a fast caring relationship with Laurie like the one Chloe had, he would never plot or sabotage to tear the two apart. Lex wanted to earn the love of his daughter without subterfuge. He wanted for her to have what he had never had. He wanted to have now with Chloe and their baby what he'd always dreamt of having.

"Why don't you ask him?" suggested Chloe when the girl turned her head in Lex's direction.

Lex locked his eyes with a pair of intelligent blue-grey orbs that identified the sprite as his and wondered what she was weighing in her mind as she looked between the two adults hesitatingly.

"It's OK, sweetie," Chloe reassured her, realising what was worrying the small girl and loving her more for it.

"What's wrong, Laurie?" asked Lex warmly.

"She wants to ask you something but she's afraid I'll be hurt if she does," explained Chloe, combing the girl's golden hair with her hand.

"Hurt?" echoed Lex with a puzzled frown.

"Not physically hurt," she smiled tiredly. "Our daughter seems to believe I'm in need of cuddling today."

"Are you?" he asked in a velvety voice that put some not very pure thoughts in her head.

"Why? Are you offering to do something about it?" she quipped teasingly, feeling her heart beat faster as his pupils got suddenly darker. "I'll be OK... She wants _you_ to carry her."

"Carry as in pick her up?" replied the billionaire, addressing Laurie again.

"Mm," assented the child, and Lex felt an overwhelming joy settle in his chest.

"If that's what you want, I'll be more than pleased to oblige," he told her with undisguised emotion. "Oblige... That sounded pompous, didn't it?" he asked Chloe with a smirk.

"She's a Luthor and a writer's daughter. She'll get used to hearing and using bigger and more pompous words than that one," she smiled back.

"Come here, honey," he told Laurie, stretching out his arms to pick her up.

"Wait, Lex. Let me do something first," said Chloe, undoing the button of one of Laurie's patent leather shoes.

"Leave them on," Lex stopped her.

"But your suit... "

"I don't care about the suit, Chloe." What was a potentially soiled jacket that he could have dry-cleaned or disposed of compared to having his daughter ask him to be carried in his arms? "Are you ready to step out? Dr Ilianovich must be already waiting for us at the lab."

"I'm ready," she replied after taking a deep breath.

"We'll find her, Chloe," he reassured her once she'd got out of the vehicle with his aid.

_OUTSIDE A WAREHOUSE- SOMEWHERE IN METROPOLIS_

Clark stumbled out of the old building where his meeting with Edge had taken place. His legs could barely support him, weakened by the kryptonite that the Crime Lord had kept close to him at all times. He moved slowly to the truck, which he'd left parked round the corner, feeling the strength coming back to his sinews as the energy of the yellow sun worked its magic on him.

He had been ensnared in a cunning trap of which he saw no way out but to do the blackmailer's wishes; too many lives depended on it. Never had the farm boy felt so impotent save the time he'd been forced by Sam Phelan to commit felonies for him, and Clark remembered only too well who had almost paid with his life when he'd dared turned the tables on the dirty cop. Jonathan was now dead; however, there were Martha, Lana and...

"So, Smallville, what's brought you to this disreputable side of town?" Lois spat at him as she leant against the passenger's door of the Kent truck, her arms crossed over her ample bosom.

"Lois? What are you doing here?" responded Clark, trying to recover from the shock.

"What am _I_ doing here? _I_ asked first. What the hell are_ you _doing hanging out with scum such as Edge?"

"You should step back before you get hurt, Lois. This has nothing to do with you," he told her, unlocking the driver's door.

"You have some gall, Mister. We're talking about _my _cousin, _my_ family. How dare you patronise me this way? You'd better spill everything you know or there'll be hell to pay," exploded the brunette, yanking the door open.

"How...?" mumbled Clark with a frown.

"I learnt to pick a lock when you were in kindergarten," she cut him off, waving the picklock she had used and then putting it away in her jeans. "So...I'm waiting," she said through clenched teeth, slamming the door shut after he'd slipped inside the vehicle.

"How did you find me?"

"Isn't it obvious, Sherlock? I tailed you in a cab; I'd always dreamed of doing that. Stop stalling, Clark. "

"How much did you hear? I assume you must have sneaked in or else you wouldn't know who I met back there."

"Don't worry, Smallville. Your secret's safe with me."

"Lois, I don't know what you think you..."

"Stop treating me like a dimwit, Smallville. You've been affected by the meteor rocks like 99.9 % of Hickville. Big deal! I don't see you any different; you're still the same obnoxious farm boy I found nude in a cornfield. Oh, come on! Look at you! You're the same provincial prude."

"If you want a lift home, you'd better change your attitude."

"Home? I`m not going anywhere till you come clean with me. How long have you known Chloe's alive?"

"Not long."

"The envelope! It was about Chlo`, wasn`t it? It had to be; you looked like a ghost when we left for Smallville."

"Lois, you should let me handle this. I've got it under control."

"Under control? You got to be kidding. You seem to forget I was in that warehouse. Who else knows you can't get close to the green rocks without puking your guts out? "

Clark was never sick unless he was in the vicinity of kryptonite but hearing Lois' last question made him queasy. God! Wasn't it enough to have to deal with a murderous psychopath? What was he going to do with the General's daughter short of knocking her unconscious? Well, maybe not knocking her... using the appropriate pressure points would have to do. She wouldn't be out indefinitely; just long enough for him to do what he had to do without her messing things up.

"I'm sorry, Lois," he apologised before making use of his superspeed to put her out of the game.

_OLIVER QUEEN`S PENTHOUSE_

"Clark?" frowned the blonde playboy billionaire when the doors of his private lift open to reveal the farm boy carrying an unconscious woman. "What happened to Lois?" he rushed forward taking her from the young man's arms.

"She fainted," said Martha's son watching Oliver lay Lois on a comfortable couch and plump up a cushion to slip under her head.

"How long ago was this?" asked Queen intent on reviving the brunette with a couple of gentle slaps on her face.

"Wait," Clark stopped him grabbing his wrist in mid-air.

"Clark? What in heaven's name are you doing?"

"She knows."

"She knows? She knows what?"

"My secret."

"Oh. Well... that'll have to wait. Lois is in bad need of medical attention. I'll call my personal physician."

"Don't."

"She isn't waking, Clark. Damn it! "

"She will. Trust me. I just struck the pressure point in the carotid."

"_You_ did this?" glared Oliver, leaving the sofa and pointing at Lois' unconscious form.

"I had no way out. I did it to protect her, Oliver. I need you to keep her safe."

"What's going on, Clark?"

"There's some nasty business I have to work out on my own. Just keep her off my back and out of harm's way."

"What nasty business?"

"It's personal, Oliver."

"Are you sure? You know, there's always strength in numbers, Clark. You can't pretend to stay a solo vigilante all your life. Besides, how am I supposed to...? "

"Aren't you the savvy one when it comes to women, Oliver? Use your charm," said Clark with a wink, fleeing the scene before giving the Green Archer the chance to turn him down.

"Thank you, Clark," said he through gritted teeth. "Hello, Lois. What do you think about taking the jet to have dinner at Maxim's tonight? No? I didn't think so," mumbled Oliver, wondering what in heaven's name he'd do with her when she woke up and threatened to crush his bones.

_LUTHORCORP PLAZA_

"We know the call can be retrieved but what about the location?" asked Lex when Ilianovich took Chloe's mobile from the billionaire's hands.

"Mobile phone conversations are saved by the companies, yes, and we can access them from here. Let's see what we can get from the enhanced audio in case the triangulation doesn't work," stated the technician, sitting down in front of his state-of-the-art computer under the attentive look of the blonde reporter.

Lex observed her interest with a smile; the hacker in her was fighting to come back to the surface.

_Chloe... it's mom..._

"It's her voice. It's my mother, Lex."

_... there's so much I'd like to say... but there's no time... they got me... I don't know who they are... I need your... No! Let me go! Chloeeee!!!_

"Can you rewind to the moment when she says 'There's no time'?" Lex butted in.

"Let's see... Let's clear that a little bit... That should do it," said Ilianovich punching some instructions.

..._ there's no time... they got me..._

"A siren?" asked Chloe.

"Yes, it sounded like a fog horn to me," assented Lex. "It must be on the waterfront."

"There's no GPS. The call wasn't made from a mobile but a payphone. If I had access to..." explained the older man.

"You'll have to do without it," Lex cut him off.

"With all due respect, sir, you know it'd make things easier."

"What is he talking about, Lex?" frowned Chloe.

"You can do it, Doctor. You still have to prove your complete loyalty to me. There's no way I'll reveal to you the location of the last piece of the puzzle," the young tycoon said grimly.

"Lex?"

"Do you trust me, Chloe?"

"Yes, but..."

"The only thing standing between Edge and absolute power over every form of communication is access to this piece of technology. If he gets it, he will not only gain that; he'll need your mother no more," replied Lex matter-of-factly."However, there's another way to find out what we want. Isn't that so, Doctor?"

"Yes, the old fashion way... My guess is they must have her in a warehouse, " responded Ilianovich, opening a blue print of Metropolis Port.

"It could be any. There are hundreds of them," sighed Chloe. "Do you have a map with the location of the payphones?"

"Here we go... Let's superimpose them... We can reduce the number by half."

"It's not enough," complained Moira's daughter, shaking her head.

"Replay the phone call, Doctor. Let's see if we can pick up something that`s escaped us, " instructed Lex.

"Seagulls," said Chloe. "It's only natural."

"Yes, you're right. However, there are few places where they`re found in such big numbers," Ilianovich told her."Let's look for big fisheries," he added, searching the database.

"There's only one payphone in the area," smiled Chloe." Can you check out the list of empty warehouses recently leased in that sector?"

"Luthor," snapped Lex, flipping the mobile open on reading the caller ID.

"Neptune Fisheries... Galaxy Corp... "enumerated the Russian emigrate browsing the short list of leasers.

"I'm coming," replied Lex hanging up. "Wait!" he stopped Ilianovich."Galaxy did you say?"

"Yes."

"That's the one. Give us the warehouse number," he ordered the specialist.

"GH2398," responded the man while his boss dialled on his phone.

"Hello. Yes, I've got news. Assemble your team. We've got work to do. I'll meet you there; there's something I've got to do first."

"I'm coming with you," Chloe told him gravely.

"No. You stay here."

"Lex..."

"Chloe, be sensible. We can't take Laura there. It'd be too dangerous. Someone has to stay with her."

"I can't stay here doing nothing knowing my mother and... you... are out there at the mercy of some unscrupulous psychopath."

"I'll have my back covered. Besides, I'm sure Dr Ilianovich could use your expertise. You told me you could have that Trojan ready in half the time if you had an extra pair of hands, Doctor, right?"

"Yes, but I'd need someone with more training than an amateur hacker."

"Trust me, Doctor, you'll want her on your team," stated the billionaire smugly. "Chloe," he murmured, grabbing her arm gently to talk with her privately. "There's no guarantee she`ll be there, but it's a good lead. I just need you to promise me you'll wait for me here. I have to know you're both safe."

"Ok. I'll wait. I'll give him a hand with the program," she complied grudgingly.

"We`re close, Chloe," he added, tilting up her chin to bore his eyes into her.

"OK. But don't you dare leave me alone, Lex. You'd better come back home safe or..."

"You'll have my hind. Got it," finished the young billionaire with a smirk. "Be good," he leant forward to graze her cheek with a goodbye kiss.

Chloe stood still in the middle of the lab watching his receding back and wishing she'd had the courage to kiss him properly.

"Lex, wait!" she exclaimed, rushing across the lab door before it shut."I forgot something."

"Yes?" he cocked an eyebrow as she got closer."Chloe, I don't want to rush you but there's something I`ve got to see to before I ..." he started to say when time dragged on and no answer came.

Eventually her response did arrive when she snaked her arms around his neck and, standing on tiptoe, pressed a tentative kiss on his mouth. This time Lex's reflexes were quick and he nibbled at her bottom lip to let him slide inside and taste her sweetness once again. Their tongues met in a loving duel while Lex's hands, hungry for her, made do with the feel of her lower back through the layers of her clothes. They would learn her curves again, all in due time and on her own terms- it was the least she deserved after all she'd been through because of his blood. For the moment, he savoured the little triumph of being blessed by her kiss.

A/N: Chloe's flashback was taken verbatim from "Progeny" (6x18)


	14. Confrontations

**CHAPTER 14**: Confrontations

_LEX'S PRIVATE OFFICE-LUTHORCORP_

Lex arrived at the acid-etched glass doors of his office on the top floor of LuthorCorp Plaza and, taking a deep breath, grabbed the doorknob to take a step inside.

"It's been a long time. I was starting to miss these impromptu visits of yours. You'll have to excuse me, Clark, but I'm very busy now to be lectured with sanctimonious platitudes."

"Where is she?" Clark asked menacingly.

"So I was right. As usual you're at my doorstep to issue accusations. I thought you were no longer interested in Lana. She did come to see me after you turned her down. I sent her packing. I'm no one`s second best," he replied, shuffling through his post.

"I'm not here because of Lana," barked Clark. "How do you explain this?" he asked, throwing a bunch of photographs on Lex's mahogany desk.

"Where did you get them?"

"That isn't relevant. "

"Someone's playing you, Clark."

"Stop the charade, Lex! You've known all along she was alive and you deliberately lied to all of us."

"I never lied to you, Clark. And this is very flimsy evidence. They could have been Photoshopped for all we know. Why drag up painful memories? You were at her funeral, Clark."

"A funeral that you clearly staged for everyone's benefit. Only a Luthor could have thought of something so sick," glared Clark.

"You don't know what you're saying, Clark. _I_ buried her too."

"She wasn't your friend. You barely knew her."

"You were so wrapped up in your own obsession with Lana that you didn't realise what was going on with the young woman you called your best friend."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You used her as a spare wheel every time Lana was in between boyfriends or when you didn't have the guts to go for what you wanted. You didn't care about her feelings. Maybe at first you were clueless, but then you had to know you were more to her than her best friend. She was always your safe net, your back-up plan, but as soon as your Princess gave you the light of day you forgot all about Chloe but expected her to be at your beck and call. And _you_ call _me_ sick? You blame me for what happened later and I accept my share of guilt, but you weren't an innocent bystander, Clark. _You_ pushed her into my father's clutches and set the wheels in motion."

"You said _I_ used her... and what about _you_? You only thought about yourself and what you could get from her. You knew what could happen if your father ever found out she was working for you behind his back."

"You don't know a thing. Go ahead and call me selfish, cold and insensitive. You're the biggest hypocrite of them all. I was your best friend too, Clark, and you let my own father lobotomise me and you did nothing," exploded Lex.

"That isn't true. I tried to stop it. I..."

"_You _are the one who lied, Clark. You have done it straight to my face ever since the day I met you. And you lied to my face after I was released from Belle Rêve. I thought we were like brothers and you betrayed me. Why? To protect your secret? You betrayed both her and me and you have the gall to storm into my house and my office whenever it suits your fancy to lecture me from your pulpit as if you were clean."

"I didn`t come for this."

"It isn't nice, is it- to look at yourself in the mirror? There are many mornings in which I don't like what I see in mine but I know who I am. What about you?"

"I know what I'm not."

"Oh, spare me the litany! I haven't got time for this," gritted Lex, slamming his briefcase shut.

"Where do you have her, Lex? Nobody's heard of her since a few hours after her husband's funeral."

"I'm not into kidnapping, Clark. After all the media circus surrounding the case, don't you think that maybe- _if_ she is alive - she doesn't want to be found? I suggest you think carefully about the person that delivered these photos to you. Why is he interested in finding her whereabouts? He's just using you. And what kind of friend would serve Chloe to him on a silver platter? "

"I would never let any harm come to her."

"I can't believe you're still so naïve, Clark. Do you think you can outsmart them?"

"What is it that you're covering up, Lex? Where you afraid LuthorCorp stock would suffer if your father was found guilty of murder? Is that the reason you had the investigation closed?"

"Lionel Luthor hadn't been part of this corporation for over three years. Nothing he did could affect LuthorCorp. After all he put me through, do you actually think I care about his reputation or that I would move a finger to save his ass after his death?"

"If not for you, for whom? "

"You're still blind, Clark. You'd never understand."

"Then explain it to me."

"What for? You've already judged and sentenced me. This conversation has gone on long enough. Take your pictures and leave. Do you know the way out or shall I call security?"

"You're mistaken if you think this is the last time you've heard from me. She isn't your property and you have no right to keep her away from her family and friends. I will find out where Chloe is and you won't be able to stop me," threatened Clark, storming out of the office.

"Sir, the chopper's ready,"said Lex's security man slash chauffeur, entering the office through a side door as soon as the unwelcome visitor had left.

"Thanks, Thomas. I want Clark Kent tailed," he told his minion, massaging his temples.

"Right away, sir. We'll plant a tracking device in his truck," nodded the man, grabbing the walkie-talkie.

"He must be taking the elevator now. I want a GPS on him personally. Use Subject 718 to have it done," he ordered, unwilling to leave anything to chance. Lex might not know what Clark's big secret was yet, but he was certain of his hidden talents and knowing the farm boy had been contacted and egged on by Morgan Edge did nothing to assuage the billionaire's fears. He couldn't have the boy disappear on him; Clark Kent on the loose could complicate things even more than they already were.

_OLIVER QUEEN'S PENTHOUSE_

Two hours after Clark's departure Lois came out of her induced sleep to find herself lying on the quilt of a king-size bed in a room that she was acquainted with but which she hadn't visited in months.

"What the hell?" she mumbled, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Good evening, sleepyhead," said Oliver with a smug smile on his face, leaning against the doorframe.

"What time is it?" she asked, massaging her neck.

"Nine o'clock," he told her after checking out the expensive waterproof Swiss watch on his wrist.

"Not that I don't appreciate waking up with a hunk in the same room but... Could you please tell me how the hell I ended up here... and wearing this? " she replied, looking at her body clad only in her underwear and a striped shirt she recognised as Oliver's style.

"Well... isn't it obvious?" he cocked an eyebrow.

"Obvious? Excuse me but the last time we talked we agreed we were better as friends..."

"Clearly, you changed your mind and I've never been one to resist an enticing brunette."

"Where's Clark?" she glared at him, swinging her legs to one side of the bed.

"Clark? I`m not into threesomes. Let's talk about you and me, shall we?"

"I want to know where he is and I want to know it now, Oliver!"

"I thought we were talking about us," he frowned. "Why bring Clark into it? Or is he the reason you decided to break up with me?"

"Clark? You gotta be kidding! We do nothing but fight all the time."

"You know what they say about the thin line between love and hate."

"I don't hate him; he just rubs me the wrong way at times."

"So you admit you love him."

"What? Oliver, what the hell are we talking about? "

"I don't know. You tell me."

"You're into this, aren't you? You men are all the same. You and your little exclusive club," she fumed, crossing the carpet-covered room barefoot."He's asked you to keep me here, hasn't he? Nothing happened between us. You changed me into this shirt to make me think I got drunk and jumped in the sack with you," she went on, punctuating each sentence with a push on his chest.

"Is the idea of us so repulsive that you'd have to be drunk in order to consider it viable?"

"Look. I don't have time to inflate your playboy ego, Oliver. There are more important things right now than my pathetic love life and my never-ending romantic screw-ups. Just show me which way Clark left and I'll remember you on my Christmas list."

"Lois..."

"Don't piss me off, Queen. While you make up your mind, would you please give me my clothes back?"

"OK. Open the closet. You'd better get dressed before the delivery boy gets here. I've just ordered your favourite pizza... with double cheese."

"Don't try to lure me using my stomach as bait, Queen. I'm not staying."

"I promised Clark I'd keep you safe and..."

"What are you going to do? Tie me up? "

"You never told me you were into bondage, Lois," chuckled the billionaire.

"OK. I had enough!" she shouted. "What would you say if I told you Clark's in deep trouble with Metropolis Organised Crime- think Morgan Edge- and.."

"Edge? Edge's dead."

"He's alive and kicking. I saw him with my very own eyes this evening. And... here's the cherry on the cake... Lex Luthor seems to be deeply involved."

"Lex?"

"Yes, your old Excelsior classmate."

"I'm listening."

_A FEW KILOMETRES AWAY FROM METROPOLIS_

Fifteen minutes after leaving LuthorCorp in his chopper Lex met General Lane and his men on an abandoned farm near Fort Adelson, where they planned their strategy to raid the warehouse. The military man had used his old contacts in the Russian intelligence to get a thermal scan of the area and have a clearer idea of what to expect when they got there.

"What's this grey area here?" asked Lex, pointing at the footage.

"We don't know. The technician who did the reading told me it had some kind of shield. Our guess is it must be made of some dense metal," explained Lane.

"Lead?"

"Could be. I wish I had been able to get a state-of-the-art satellite to penetrate it. Unfortunately, this old Russian baby was the only one in that orbit at the time. We have one but the controls at the Pentagon are tougher these days and my American contact wouldn't risk being discovered. In any case, I thought neither of us would have appreciated having Uncle Sam on our tail," responded the General, lighting his cigar. "I hope they aren't housing explosives there or worse."

"Whatever it is, it must be pretty important to them. I don't think they're so interested in containing it as in preventing someone in particular from getting to it," mused Lex."What can you tell me about your sister-in-law?" he added, looking back at Lois' father.

"Moira? She was a very private person. I never got to know her really well. My wife and her had a very close relationship and when... Ellen passed away... Lois grew very attached to her. It was hard for my eldest daughter to lose both women so close together."

"Were the Sullivans having trouble with their marriage when she left?"

"As I said before, I saw very little of Moira. My career absorbed me in those days...I've never been one for socials anyway... I got together with Gabe now and then. Had a couple of beers, watched a game. He seemed to be a happy man then. He had a beautiful baby girl he boasted about all the time... he loved Moira deeply- he didn't have eyes for anyone else. Losing her was very hard for him; it almost destroyed him... and Chloe- she didn't speak for three months. Getting that job at the Fertilizer Plant in Smallville was their salvation. Has my niece ever mentioned her to you?"

"Twice. The second time was today. If you had to take a guess at the reason for Moira's desertion, what would it be?"

"What does this have to do with the mysterious room in the scan?"

"I don't know. I just want to explore all the possibilities of what we might find there," replied the billionaire."This is putting a lot of stress on Chloe and is dragging out a lot of painful memories. There is something about her mother that is disturbing her deeply and I don't want to pressure her to tell me what it is. But if you know something that could shed some light on the matter, I'd really appreciate it. I want to help her cope with this ... "

"I remember an incident a few weeks after Moira left. Chloe was sleeping over at home. I was working on some reports and I heard her scream. I went to the girls' room and saw her tossing and turning, crying she didn't want those men in white to take Moira away. At the time I thought she was just having a nightmare, creating scenarios to explain why her mom had deserted... I couldn't get a word out of her when she woke up."

"You believe those men were real? That they were there to commit her mother? The Moira I heard on the phone sounded articulate to me, but a lot of years have gone by since the day she vanished."

"There were rumours, yes."

Lex stored the information for later use and resolved to ask his PI to dig into Moira's past and her first years of marriage. He had a hunch there was something more to her decision than a secret affair or marital problems.

"Thanks for sharing this with me, Lane."

"I just want for Chloe to find the peace she deserves. I hope you'll be able to give her that, Luthor."

"So do I. Let's take a first step, shall we? "

_METROPOLIS PORT- WAREHOUSE# GH2398_

"You're trying my patience, Mrs Sullivan. What did you think you were doing trying to run away this morning? What did you tell your daughter before we got you back?" snapped Edge at the woman now tied to a chair as he pulled her hair from behind to look into her green eyes.

"Nothing," she gasped.

"You'd better not be lying to me. I was planning to give you a reward for getting us what we wanted, but now I don't think so."

"Why don't you let her go? Why bring more innocent people into this?" she added, shooting a glance at the young woman sitting in a corner of the shielded room.

"You should be more worried about you than the girl. You're no longer useful to us while she..." grinned Lionel's old partner, crouching in front of the other woman and lifting the girl's face by the chin only to be spit at.

"You have spunk. I`ve got to give you that," said Edge, wiping off the saliva with a monogrammed handkerchief.

"He'll never give you what you want!" shouted the young woman, trying to untie the rope around her wrists.

"Love makes people weak," chuckled the middle-aged man."Tell me, has he ever ... ? "

"Sir!" exclaimed one of Edge's minions, stepping into the room. "Luthor and his men are here. We should leave!"

"_You!_ " shouted the Crime Lord, glaring at Moira. "Give me your gun," he ordered his bodyguard.

"Sir, we've already got the codes. We're close. Take the girl and forget about the lady," he tried to make his boss see reason."They'll be bursting through those doors any minute now. "

A hyperventilated Edge shook his minion off and, clenching his jaws, slammed Moira Sullivan unconscious against the wall before grabbing the young woman to make her stand up.

"Put your claws away and lift up that trapdoor," he ordered the girl, pushing her to the floor."Seal the door!" he barked at his two men just as Lex and Lane's men barged into the building.

"Do you have anything?" shouted the General at his men on the radio."They can't have vanished into thin air."

"We have men on the roof and all the exits are sealed," responded Lex, removing his night vision goggles."There`s only one way out- down," he added, cocking the hammer of his gun and walking purposefully towards the mysterious room.

"Luthor," Lane warned him," we don't know what's behind that door."

"We can`t afford to waste more time, Lane. We`ll blow it up or rip it apart. Tell your demolition man to use C4 or a welding torch," the young billionaire told him sternly.

Lex observed Lane and his team work against the clock hoping it wasn't too late. By his reckoning, Graves must have already contacted Edge with the codes Ilianovich had given him in exchange for protection. Lionel's heir knew the stakes were high but he`d taken the decision before knowing they had Moira and by the time he got in touch with the Russian the codes had already been delivered.

"We're in!"exclaimed the demolition man. "There appears to be someone down, sir."

"It's Moira," said the General gravely as Lex rushed into the room and knelt down in front of the woman to check her pulse.

"She's still breathing," replied the young CEO, sliding his hand behind her skull and feeling the warmth of oozing blood wet his fingers. "Bring a stretcher," he ordered a member of the team, taking his mobile out of his pocket and asking his pilot to fly in the helicopter."She's got an ugly concussion," he murmured, exchanging looks with Lois' father."I hope she`ll make it."

"She's a fighter like all the women in Chloe's family. She will recover. She _has_ to," stated the General.

"I'll fly her to the Davis Clinic. A neurologist and my personal physician will be waiting for us," he explained to Chloe's uncle.

"General, there's no one either on the premises or in the perimeter," the second-in.-command informed them. "But you might want to check this out," he added, standing at the threshold of a lateral door.

"We have gophers," said the seasoned officer, looking at the trapdoor."Stevens and Shepperton, go down and see where it leads. The damn thing must be new," he grumbled, looking at Lex before scanning the room and noticing the gleaming green rocks that were scattered all over the place. "What the hell is this?"

"Meteor rocks," stated Lex, leaning down to retrieve a shining object that had attracted his attention.

"What do you have there?"

"A necklace," responded the billionaire grimly, recognising the trinket."Damn it," he said through clenched teeth.

"Sir, the chopper's here," the youngest of the group butted in.

"Tell your men there's another woman with Edge. I don't care how eager you're to get the bastard, Lane; remember that we need him to lead us to where he's assembling Argus and that enough innocent blood 's been shed."

"Yes, Sheppard. Any trace?" snapped the General on the radio."OK, we'll pick you up at the pier," he answered, turning off the walkie-talkie."Escort Moira, Luthor. The bastard's disappeared again. Back to square one."

"We've lost a battle but not the war, General," stated Lex.

_Let's hope the eternal knight in shining armour makes a move to save his damsel in distress and we'll get our checkmate. _


	15. Trust

**CHAPTER 15**: Trust

_LUTHORCORP-A QUARTER OF AN HOUR LATER_

Chloe was working on the Trojan with Ilianovich when her security detail walked into the lab to inform her he had orders to take her and Laura to the Davis Clinic. Hearing those words made her break out in a cold sweat as her mind conjured up a bloodied Lex being rushed to the ER of Metropolis' exclusive avant-garde clinic. Her heart seemed to stop beating for a second and then started galloping in her chest as she was suddenly assaulted by the urge to throw up. Ilianovich took a step forward to catch her and lead her to a chair when he saw her shaky legs wobble.

"Is Lex...h... hurt?" she asked trembling, the blood draining from her face.

"I'm sorry, madam. I can't tell you that. I just got orders to take you two to the helipad," replied the security man.

"Can't you... use the radio or something?" she croaked as she tried to dial Lex's mobile and couldn't get through.

"We'll try on the chopper, madam. Mr Luthor's bodyguard said they were urging his security team to turn off their radios, but maybe they're now stationed in an aisle where it's allowed to use them," he explained.

"Mommy," said Laura in a shaky voice, coming closer to the adults and clutching tight the teddy bear Lex had surprised her with in the morning.

"Laurie, come here, baby," said a teary-eyed Chloe, picking up the girl. "We have to go with the gentleman now."

"Can I take Mr Bear?" she murmured, eying Lex's security with a distrustful look.

"Sure, honey" smiled Chloe, greeting the Russian goodbye with a mouthed 'Good luck'.

"Will Lex be there? He promised he'd come back, "went on the girl with an unmistakable trace of worry in her childish voice.

"I'm sure keeping his promises to you is the most important thing in the world to him, Laurie, but sometimes things happen that are out of our control," Chloe tried to explain as they walked along the corridor to the lift that would take them to the helipad." He didn't forget his promise. He couldn't come so he sent for us, OK?"

"OK," she mumbled, leaning her head on Chloe's shoulder.

_THE DAVIS CLINIC- METROPOLIS_

The flight to the Davis Clinic took them a few minutes and yet, it felt like an eternity to Chloe, who couldn't help but picture the worst scenarios in her mind. In fact, it wasn't until they entered the exclusive aisle named after the Luthors and she saw Lex talking animatedly on his mobile that she eased her breath out.

"I know it's a dangerous move, Bruce, but if he does what I believe, we'll get more than just Edge... It's more than just a hunch. He has him exactly where he wants and has secured his cooperation in a fashion that would have made my own father proud," Lex tried to convince his Argus partner. "Call her... Illianovich should have news very soon," he added, turning around to see Chloe enter the VIP waiting room. "Hold on..." he told his former boarding school classmate before covering the microphone. "Chloe..." he said quietly, meeting her halfway and noticing the tell-tale brightness of her emerald eyes.

"It`s done," she replied composedly,.

"Bruce," he said, uncovering the phone and holding Chloe's gaze, "everything's set. Keep me posted," he finished, stretching out an arm to wipe away a stray tear off her cheek as she began to relax after the tension of the last fifteen minutes."Are you OK?"

"I thought... when they came for us... I thought that..." she swallowed, struggling to hold herself together.

"I promised I'd come back in one piece, didn't I?" he said wryly, feeling satisfied with the knowledge that she had reacted so strongly to the possibility of something happening to him.

"Yes, and let us not forget that the ire of a Sullivan's legendary, and one that's better not to provoke," she quipped with a lazy smile.

"Chloe, there's something we have to talk about," he said gravely, leading her to the sofa.

"Did you find my mum?" she asked, feeling guilty at having momentarily forgotten Moira, when she was the reason Lex had run the risk of getting himself hurt in the first place.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. We didn't get Edge but he left her behind... unconscious. She sustained a heavy blow to her head and is being operated on as we speak to remove a piece of bone that is putting pressure on her brain. They won't know how extensive the damage is or what functions have been affected until she wakes up."

Chloe listened to him explain her mother's critical condition in a businesslike and in appearance cold way which she found strangely comforting; this man was such a bundle of contradictions- unflappable, implacable and fearless in his dealings with the outside world and yet capable of the greatest tenderness when it came to her and their daughter. God was putting her fortitude to the test once again and it made her wonder if He could be so cruel as to take her mum away from her just when Moira had reentered her life. Chloe knew that Laurie and she were no longer alone- Lex was constantly there to make sure they felt protected; however, she wanted to have the chance to talk to her mother, to understand why she'd left and to shelter her heart and her baby's if the older woman wasn't there to stay.

"Chloe," he said, covering her hand with his,"the best doctors in the country are taking care of her. Anything she needs, I'll make sure she gets it."

"Thanks," she replied, swallowing hard.

"She's your mother and Laurie's grandma, and you're all she has. Nothing should have happened to her. I'm sorry we didn't get to her in time."

"You didn't do this, Lex. And we knew there was a chance we wouldn't find her alive, taking into account who we're dealing with. So there's no use beating yourself up about it. We got the Trojan ready and Illianovich's already contacted Lt Graves," she replied, leaving the sofa when the head nurse entered the waiting room with Laura in tow.

"Here's your little lady. Safe and lighter," smiled the middle-aged health provider.

"Miss..." answered the billionaire, checking out the name printed on the woman's badge.

"Miss Adair, sir."

"Miss Adair..." he said gravely, adopting the Luthor trademark authoritative stance.

"Mr Luthor and I appreciate everything you and your staff are doing for our family," finished Chloe, sensing the serviceable woman was going to get a tongue-lashing from him.

"That's what we're here for, madam. You've got a very smart little lady. If there's anything else I might do for you, you know where to find me," she responded warmly, pinching Laurie's cheek affectionately before excusing herself.

"You must think I'm paranoid," he told Chloe when they were left alone.

"No, I don't. I'm simply trying to preserve some semblance of normalcy. Laurie needed to pee. The woman saw us and offered to show her to the toilet while I came here looking for you. Your security was stationed at the door and one of them checked there was no one inside. You chose them personally to watch over us. Do you mean to imply you don't trust your own judgement?"

"I've been wrong in the past," he said quietly, noticing Laurie's eyes were on him.

"Are you hurt? " murmured Laurie, spotting the blood stains on his cuff.

"No, sweetheart," he replied, crouching down in front of her.

"I don't like hospitals," she stated, holding her teddy bear close to her chest.

"Neither do I, Laurie," he responded with the ghost of a smile, remembering all the time he'd spent in them either as a patient or as a visitor during Lillian's finals days.

"That makes us three, then," added Chloe haunted by her own painful memories.

"Can we go home now?" pleaded the little girl, holding Lex's gaze and stretching out an arm to take his left hand.

"I want to go home with you too, Laurie," he replied overcome by emotion on hearing his daughter's words and feeling her small hand grabbing his. "Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a little longer. Why don't we sit here? " he added, straightening up and inviting Chloe to join them on the sofa.

"What's wrong?" asked the girl, now sitting on Chloe's lap.

"Do you remember I once told you I had a mommy but that I didn't know where she was?" said Chloe with glassy eyes, combing Laura's hair with a slightly shaky hand.

"Is she here?"

"Mm," assented the blonde reporter, feeling her eyes well up with fresh tears.

"Is your mommy hurt?" asked the girl with concern in her face.

"Yes," choked Chloe.

"Is she going to die?"

"We don't know that, darling," said Lex, joining in the conversation. "This clinic has the best doctors in the country and they're doing everything to help your grandma."

"Do you have a mommy?"

"Laurie," Chloe chided her, remembering how sensitive Lex was to everything connected with his late mother.

"It's OK, Chloe. My mom's in heaven, Laurie," he answered his daughter, experiencing a bittersweet satisfaction at her curiosity. "She died when I was little."

"Like my dad. Is he in heaven too?"

Lex raised his eyes and met Chloe's, wanting to blurt out the truth, tell the girl her dad wasn't dead, that she was talking to him and that the man she thought was her father should be rotting in hell for having knowingly robbed them so much. However, he couldn't do that; it was neither the time nor the place and- as much as he resented Fairchild- he'd been a good father and provider and the only dad she'd ever known. He was definitely not going to soil the memory of Phil she had to advance his own cause; God had presented him with the opportunity to rectify the path he'd taken and Lex was determined not to blow it this time. He was NOT going to become his own father by resorting to manipulation with his child.

Chloe saw myriad emotions reflected in his eyes before he veiled them and knew how much it must hurt him to hear their baby talk about Phil and call him 'dad'. Even though Chloe hadn't known then what she knew now, there was something she had- that Phil wasn't Laurie's dad, and she regretted now more than ever not telling the girl the truth from the very beginning.

"Phil was very fortunate to have you and your mom in his life. He had his very own piece of heaven on earth. I'm sure that he's watching over you now like my mom is," he replied, holding the girl's unwavering gaze.

"Mr Luthor, Ms Fairchild," said the head nurse from the door,"Mrs Sullivan's being taken to a private room. Dr Sorensen will brief you in ten minutes."

"Thanks, Miss Adair," replied Lex before turning around to address Chloe. "Why don't you freshen up a little while I take Laura to the cafeteria for an ice-cream. Would you like that, Laurie?"

"Do they have chocolate chip?" she asked excitedly.

"We'll ask them," he smiled softly.

"Could you get me a decent cup of coffee?" requested Chloe, leaving the sofa and grabbing her bag.

"Some things never change," he smirked. "You'll get your coffee and we'll meet outside your mom's room."

_QUEEN INDUSTRIES _

"We need to visualise this sector," explained Oliver to his technician, pointing at the warehouse Lois had located on the map of Metropolis. "Do you think you can retrieve information from the last twenty-four hours?"

"Let's see what we can get. Our satellite is over Dubai now; we'll have to check out our records," said the nerdy employee, punching instructions on the keyboard.

"Maybe we should concentrate on the last six hours," Lois suggested, looking at the flat screen.

"OK, here we go," said the technician as the satellite images appeared on the screen. "Let's adjust the grid to focus on warehouse #_GH2398_."

"That's Clark's truck. Could you fast forward a little?" said Oliver, getting closer to the big screen. "There. Zoom in. There were three men in the warehouse. Give us a close-up of that room in the left corner. Can we get a clearer picture?"

"The satellite can penetrate through some layers but not enough to show us what's inside," explained the employee.

"He's leaving now," murmured Oliver, watching an unstable Clark make his way to the door.

"Man, that cafeteria trash surely hit his stomach bad," Lois butted in, worried about the questions that might rise in Oliver's mind on seeing Clark moving so erratically on the screen.

"Let's advance the recording and see what Edge and his men did after Clark left," said Oliver, looking at Lois out of the corner of his eye. "This is interesting," he mumbled, when a couple of SUVs appeared on the scene.

"Lex," gritted Lois. "He might be wearing goggles but that shiny bald head can be spotted a mile away."

"Zoom in, Stan. It looks like a special assault team. Either Edge's betrayed Lex in some way and my former classmate decided to make him pay or..."

"Damn it! I'm gonna wring his neck," hissed Lois.

"Join the club," smirked Oliver.

"I'm not talking about Luthor, Ollie. That's my father over there."

"Your father? What's your father doing working for a Luthor?"

"He's got some big explaining to do. All these years..."

"It seems we aren't the only ones intrigued about that room. Give us audio, Stan."

"_Luthor, we don't know what's behind that door."_

"_We can`t afford to waste more time, Lane. We`ll blow it up or rip it apart. Tell your demolition man to use C4 or a welding torch."_

"_We're in! There appears to be someone down, sir."_

"_It's Moira."_

"Moira?" frowned Lois.

"Do you know her?"

"Maybe. That might explain my father's involvement in part. Moira was my cousin Chloe's mom. She disappeared when we were little."

"_She's still breathing. Bring a stretcher. She's got an ugly concussion. I hope she`ll make it."_

"_She's a fighter like all the women in Chloe's family. She will recover. She __has__ to." _

"Well, that's cleared any doubts about her identity," said Oliver, shooting a glance at Chloe's eldest cousin.

"_I'll fly her to the Davis Clinic. A neurologist and my personal physician will be waiting for us." _

"What's Lex's interest in your aunt?"

"I don't know. His only connection to Chloe is the time they spent together to bring down Lionel Luthor three years ago."

"_What the hell is this?" _

"_Meteor rocks." _

"_What do you have there?"_

"_A necklace. Damn it. Tell your men there's another woman with Edge. I don't care how eager you're to get the bastard, Lane; remember that we need him to lead us to where he's assembling Argus and that enough innocent blood 's been shed."_

"Did you see his face? He knows who the woman is. You dig up everything you can about this Argus Project, Ollie. I have some family business to see to," Lois grumbled, grabbing her coat.

"Wait, Lois. Clark…"

"I'm sorry, Oliver, but I won't be sitting at your penthouse filing my nails while my own flesh and blood is in danger. Clark doesn't own me and I have a hunch about what Edge is using to lead him by the nose."

"Do you care to share it with me?"

_WAYNE ENTERPRISES- GOTHAM CITY_

The doors of the lift opened on the basement of the headquarters of Wayne Enterprises and Gotham's favourite playboy billionaire emerged wearing an impeccable tailor-made dinner jacket and bow tie.

"Bruce," Lucius Fox greeted him from his chair in front of the maze of monitors.

"Do we have anything?" asked Thomas Wayne's only son, approaching the control panel.

"Do I have permission to speak freely?"

"When has anything stopped you?" replied Bruce wryly.

"I think you're making a mistake."

"I'm willing to run the risk. You might not understand it now, Lucius, but a break-in is exactly what we need at this moment. There's a lot more at stake than the future of this project."

"I don't get it. What would either you or your partner gain with this? I might have expected an insurance scam from someone bearing the Luthor surname but not from Thomas' offspring."

"This isn't about cashing in an insurance cheque. This is about cleaning the streets of Gotham and Metropolis in one big sweep. Call me if the pigeon lands. I've got to take a gorgeous D.A. assistant to the Opera."

_THE DAVIS CLINIC- MOIRA SULLIVAN'S ROOM _

It was close to ten in the evening when Lex entered Moira's room to find Chloe still sitting next to her bed, fighting to keep her eyes open. He looked at her fingers entwined with her mother's and felt a tightening in his chest when the memory of Lillian's emaciated body and her bird-boned wrists came rushing to his mind.

"She looks so fragile," whispered Chloe.

"Chloe..."

"Do you think she knows? That I'm here?" she asked him with a forlorn look in her eyes.

"I've been there. I can definitely assure you she does."

"Is Laurie OK?"

"She fell asleep before ordering dessert at the hospital cafeteria. Chloe, you've been here almost eight hours and you have nothing in your stomach except the coffee we brought you early in the afternoon."

"I'm not hungry."

"I've hired a private nurse to sit with her overnight. The penthouse`s ten minutes away. We can be here in no time if there's any development. Chloe, she won't wake up until the doctors make sure the swelling's gone down and it's safe to bring her out of the coma," he said quietly, placing his hands on her shoulders and massaging the knotted muscles of her back."You need to catch up some sleep and Laurie should be in a comfortable bed. You won't be abandoning her. We'll be back in the morning."

"OK," she conceded in defeat, giving Moira's hand a squeeze before getting up and letting him guide her outside.

_LEX'S PENTHOUSE- HALF AN HOUR LATER_

The drive from the clinic to the penthouse took under ten minutes but it was enough time to lull an exhausted Chloe to sleep. Lex found himself with two sleeping beauties to deal with and a pair of hands shorter to carry them up to his tower in true knightly fashion. Although he could ask one of his security men to give him a hand with Laurie, the fact that the girl had snuggled up in his lap the moment he slipped into the back seat of the limo made him reticent. He basked in her trust and the warmth of her childish frame pressed tight against his chest; he simply didn't want to give her up. Having any man but him touch Chloe was out of the question too and that left him with only one choice- waking the blonde up to walk to the private lift that would take them to the top floor.

The ride to the penthouse was done in silence with Lex carrying a sleepy Laurie in his arms and Chloe trying to process the events of the whole afternoon without losing her composure in front of them. Seeing him handle their baby with such loving care was wrecking havoc on her and reviving memories of her own childhood with Gabe, making her anguish over the loss of her dad more pronounced. She barely held it together in time to cross the threshold of the exclusive apartment and seek refuge in her guest room while Lex put their daughter to bed.

The penthouse was eerily quiet when he finished tucking Laurie in and giving her his first kiss goodnight. He'd seen Chloe enter her room two doors away from the girl's and assumed she'd gone straight to bed, so he was surprised to find her standing in the middle of her bedroom with the zip of her dress undone and her clothes still on. He hesitated at the door lying ajar and was starting to retreat when his eyes met hers in the full-length mirror and he changed his mind.

Chloe heard the door click close and stood grounded fighting the urge to flee and hide away. She sensed more than hear his approach and bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling as he parted her dress and the scarred back she always hid from the public eye was revealed to him. The garment slid down her body, pooling around her on the floor, and she felt the prick of tears behind her eyelids when he knelt down behind her to take her high heels off with gentle hands. His movements were slow and featherlike like those of a man who's dealing with a young colt or a stray dog that's been abused; and she let him undress her and then carry her to the bathroom where he stripped down to his underwear and join her in the shower stall.

She was stark naked, centimetres away from the man who had been occupying her thoughts during her waking and her sleeping hours for weeks now and still there was nothing of sexual about it. There was love in the way his hands lathered her body and rinse the shampoo off her hair and yet sex was the last thing on both their minds. His being there with her was his way of showing her he could put aside his own needs and desires and be the someone she could not only trust her life to but also her heart and her worries.

Lex finished rinsing her golden tresses and closed the taps to fetch a warm bath towel with which to wrap her up. She seemed more composed and relaxed now so he let her go back to the bedroom to dry and change into her nightdress on her own while he stripped, stepped back into the stall and had a proper shower. He was done in under ten minutes and left the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Even though he should have probably had a shower in his own room, he decided against it for practical reasons and also because he wanted to make sure she was all right and asleep before leaving her for the night.

Chloe was already in bed when Lex turned off the light of the bathroom and came back to the room. Although she was lying on her left side and with her back to him, he could tell she was wide awake and her breathing told him her struggle to refrain from crying was lost. Moonlight was streaming through the white voile curtains and illuminated the side of the bed where she was lying in a virginal-looking cotton nightdress aimed at covering the physical reminder of the Luthor destructive power.

She heard him move around the king-sized bed and materialise next to her with a clean towel in his hands with which he proceeded to dry her damp hair. No words had been exchanged since they left the clinic, but the quiet between them was a comfortable silence pregnant with meaning. She didn't need comforting words to stop her from crying, he was letting her mourn her dad and exorcise her childhood demons through her tears, and his hands massaging her scalp was all the soothing she needed.

Fifteen minutes later her hair was dry and they locked eyes again.

"Stay," she whispered, grabbing his hand to detain him when he started to get up. "I just want you to hold me," she added before he had the time to object.

"OK. Let me go for a pair of pyjama bottoms," he replied, coming back a few minutes later.

Once he'd slipped under the sheets Chloe snuggled closer and he wrapped one arm around her middle, spooning her from behind. She took a deep breath and leant back as he brushed the column of her neck with his mouth before pressing a kiss on her nape and tightening his hold on her.

The tick-tock of the alarm clock on her nightstand and his compassed breathing near her ear told her that this was real, that time hadn't stood still. She revelled in their closeness and his quiet strength, which made her feel safe and loved.

"Do you still miss her?" she murmured, covering his hand with hers.

"I don't think I'll ever stop missing her," came his answer after a short silence. "I don't want to and I hate the fact that I get to see her only when I'm fighting for my life. Sometimes I panic when a day goes by without thoughts of her because I believe if I ever were to put everything behind, I would forget what she looked like."

"I'm afraid, Lex," she confessed, haunted by the ghost of her mother's institutionalisation and by the answers she might get from Moira if she ever woke up.

The memory of his conversation with Lane came rushing to his mind and made him wish his PI had already finished his digging into Moira's past. Having no answers to give to Chloe other than promises he didn't know he could keep because they were beyond his control increased his impotence- a feeling he didn't relish since he'd been its victim too many times in his life.

"I wish I could make it better," he replied, his voice charged with emotion.

"I can't ask of you more than you're already giving me, Lex," she responded warmly, turning a little in his arms to cup his cheek.

"It never feels enough after everything you've been through because of me."

"You don't get to say that," she told him, placing her fingers on his lips to stop him from saying anything else. "What about what you've been through? I can see what it does to you to hear Laurie speak of Phil and call him dad. I feel guilty..."

"Chloe..." he tried to interrupt her.

"I knew. I knew he wasn't her dad. I didn't remember you... but I knew,,, I should have told her... I should have never let him convince me... that it was for the best," she hiccupped and Lex felt an inordinate rage overcome him. Fairchild had had no right to manipulate Chloe and take advantage of her vulnerable state. He could understand the man falling in love with Laurie and his urge to tie them both to him, and he loathed the fact that the Lex Luthor of recent years might have followed a similar course of action had he been in Phil's shoes. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, pressing her brow against his.

Lex felt her soft lips so close to his and her sweet breath fanning against his face and cursed his body for starting to get hard. He could tell the moment she realised he'd got aroused when her sobbing subsided and she went suddenly quiet. This was supposed to be about her and not him and his urges; he was betraying the trust she'd put in his hands and ruining everything he'd accomplished in the last few days. He should have never given in to the pleading in her eyes. He should have just sat in the armchair until she fell asleep and then leave the room for his bed.

"Don't," she murmured when he started to pull away.

"Chloe, "he moaned, closing his eyes when she leant forward to press their mouths together and he felt her taut nipples separate from his chest by her modest nightgown.

Suddenly the tables were turned and he was the one kissing her, running his tongue lightly against the seam of her lips begging for entrance. And she opened to his gentle invasion and let his tongue coax hers with aching tenderness for a while until in a daring move she captured his and sucked on it, forcing him to chase it back. Chloe heard a soul-deep moan come out of her mouth and her cheeks tinged red at her unusual boldness.

Lex unbuttoned the front of her nightdress and carefully parted the cotton garment, gauging Chloe's reaction. They were rediscovering her body together and, although she'd let him undress her for the shower, the circumstances were different now. This was no longer about her but about them, and he wanted her to feel as at ease with Lex the lover as she had felt with Lex the comforter.

"Tell me if there's anything that makes you uncomfortable, Chloe. Nothing'll happen here that you don't want," he told her, holding her bright eyes."I love you, Chloe, and that won't change when this barrier's removed. But, if you need more time, if you don't think you're ready, I can wait," he added, brushing his knuckles against her cheek.

"I love you too. I'm ready, Lex," she responded, helping him get rid of the nightdress she'd never taken off in front of her own husband.

She was even more beautiful now than at seventeen. Her hips had spread a little and her perky breasts were fuller after bearing and feeding their child and Lex couldn't help the tightening in his chest at the image of motherhood seeing her nude had conjured up. His hands roamed over her curves to her shoulders before tangling in her hair and bringing her closer for another open-mouthed kiss.

Every cell in her body came alive at his touch. Her skin was burning all over and her centre throbbed to the rhythm of the massage his talented tongue was giving to her left breast bud before he pushed her gently on her back to devote the same care to its twin. The sweet torture lasted another couple of minutes until he noticed her laboured breathing and decided to help her reach her first peak with a skilful massage centred on the little bundle of nerves between her shapely legs. The reaction was almost immediate and Lex thought he'd never seen anything more beautiful than her coming undone as he swallowed her strangled cry of release with his mouth.

"Why is it that I'm the only one who's undressed? If you want to have your wicked way with me Mr Luthor, you'll have to take away that expensive-looking scrap of fabric you call pyjama bottoms," she quipped a few minutes later to cover up her nervousness when her eyes noticed the effect her orgasm had had on Lex's anatomy.

"Your wishes are orders," he smiled. "Remember what I said, Chloe. Would you feel more comfortable if I darkened the room?"

"Leave the curtains the way they are. I like seeing the moonlight."

"OK. Let me go for protection."

"That won't be necessary," she detained him, grabbing his hand."I'm on the pill. My gynaecologist prescribed it to regularise my cycle."

"I haven't been with anyone in over a year but if you'd rather, I could..."

"I trust you, Lex," she cut him off, squeezing his hand before releasing it and lying on her side with her back to him.

If the circumstances were different, her body posture would suggest rejection; but in Chloe's case, it meant the exact opposite. She was granting him her complete trust and risking his rejection by showing him that part of herself which had sustained the worst damage during the safe house explosion.

Even though Fairchild had done a very good job with his surgeon hands, the bruises and burns had been too extensive to erase every trace off her back. Her milky skin was crisscrossed with scars that had the appearance of a fainting flogging and Lex felt the sudden pricking of tears.

"Lex," she whispered hesitantly.

"You're beautiful," he murmured against her skin as he scattered a trail of soft kisses over her abused back as if his lips could be the balm the injuries needed to heal.

Chloe let out the breath she'd been holding and relaxed her tense muscles to enjoy Lex's proximity and his leisurely caresses. It didn't take too long for her breasts to feel heavier and for desire to pool once again at her apex as she lay back on his chest bringing his arousal closer to her core. Lex wondered how long he'd be able to resist the gentle rocking she'd initiated before embarrassing himself.

"Chloe," he said in a strained voice, "is it OK like this?"

"It's perfect, Lex," she replied breathless.

"Do you think we could...?"

"Yes, I'm ready now," she assented, entwining her fingers with his as he placed his right hand on her hip and she welcomed him in her body for the first time in over three years.

Lex closed his eyes and pressed a kiss on her shoulder waiting for her to adjust to the intrusion before starting a languorous advance and retreat which brought them both to a long and powerful climax.

"I wish you could stay with me all night," she told him quietly as she rested her head on his chest a while later. "But Laurie..."

"I understand," he responded, threading his fingers through her hair.

"We'll tell her. Soon," she promised, locking her eyes with his."Can you stay a little longer?" she added wistfully.

"I'll stay until you fall asleep. Now, rest, Chloe. Tomorrow'll be a long day," he said pressing a brief kiss on her lips and enjoying the feel of having his love finally in his arms.


	16. Grudges

**CHAPTER 16: **Grudges

_FORT ADELSON- 10 p.m._

Lois' relationship with her old man had been strained since Ellen passed away and the army brat was saddled with the responsibility of raising her baby sister while the General commanded them like his troop. She'd done her best to please her dad, but Lucy`d always been the apple of his eyes and Lois invariably ended up paying the piper every time her little sister screwed up. Gabe and Chloe had been more of a father and sister to her than her own, and losing them both had had a profound impact on the cynical young woman. And now, she had learnt her father had knowingly kept her away from her favourite cousin or, at least, deprived her of the consolation of knowing that Chloe was alive somewhere raising a family and carving herself a niche in the world of literature. Her baby cousin was a best-seller writer, a mother, a young widow and was again in the Luthor crossfire; and the damn General had kept his mouth shut.

"Good evening, soldier. This is an unexpected surprise," said the General, opening the door of his house at the base.

"How dare you, dad?" exploded Lois, storming into the hall.

"You haven't called in months, Lo'. I'm entitled to be surprised at finding you at my doorstep."

"The last time I checked my cell was still working. You could have picked up the phone too, see if I was still pissed off. Or were you so ashamed at yourself for having lied to me these three years that you daren't dial my number? That might make you look more human and even earn you some points in my books," she spat at him.

"Are you done?" he asked grimly.

"I'm just getting started," she glared."What the hell are you doing with Luthor?"

"Why don't we sit down?" he suggested, showing her to the sofa.

"I don't want to sit down. You looked me straight in the eye and told me she was dead. I visited her tomb, put flowers on it every week for months. I want you to tell me what the hell's going on and what Chloe and Aunt Moira have to do in this mess."

"Lo', I know that this must be frustrating for you, but we're dealing with very dangerous people here. Innocent lives have been lost or changed forever, and I wouldn't like for your name or anyone else's to be added to that list because of your recklessness. "

"What do you know about Argus?"

"Where did you hear that name? Have you talked to someone else about it?"

"Don't worry, dad. I'm not planning to sell the exclusive to The Planet. I would never play with my family's lives," she said derisively. "Luthor's involved, isn't he? And the rat of his father was too. The minute I read the bastard had been cleared of the murder in Star City I knew there was something fishy being cooked. I still don't get why Lex would cover for the rattlesnake."

"He didn't do it for Lionel."

"You'd better start talking, dad, or I'll go straight to the source and start asking inconvenient questions."

_GOTHAM CITY- LES ESCARGOTS- 11 p.m._

Bruce was enjoying his first date in a fortnight after a particularly hectic night schedule curtsey of the Crime Lords of Gotham when his mobile vibrated and interrupted the fun part of the evening. Having dealt with the business side of the outing, he was really starting to relax and allow himself the rare pleasure of being himself around the young woman he had befriended as a girl and who still remained part of his life.

"I'm sorry, Rache," he excused himself, putting his cell phone away. "I hate having to do this but..."

"You have to leave," she smiled sadly."Is it connected with what we talked earlier this evening?"

"I won't know for sure until I get there, but I promise I'll make it up to you," he replied, squeezing her hand.

"Wayne, Rachel, good evening," Gotham's hot-shot District Attorney greeted them, stopping by their table on his way out of the restaurant.

"Dent," responded the billionaire with civility.

"Hello, Harvey. I didn't see you come in," the young woman greeted him surprised.

"That's because I was sitting at the back- hidden by that gigantic palm tree- when you two arrived; the mayor's idea to pass unnoticed," he told her ironically.

"I've just been called away. Would you mind seeing Rachel home?" Bruce cut in.

"I don't..." started Rachel.

"It'll be my pleasure," smiled her boss.

"Thanks," Wayne told the blond DA, who was giving more than one headache to Gotham's Crime Syndicate, before addressing his date again."I'll call you tomorrow. The evening won't be such a waste after all," he smiled, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek."Dent, a pleasure to meet you once again," he finished, shaking hands with the man.

"Shall we?" asked Dent, helping her with her shawl once Wayne had walked away to pick up his overcoat from the cloakroom.

"Thanks," she said quietly, following her childhood friend's receding back with her eyes."Would you mind taking a detour on my way home? There's something I want to talk to you about," she added, focusing her attention on her handsome boss.

_GOTHAM - WAYNE ELECTRONICS- 11.30 p.m._

"I'm sorry to have interrupted your night out, Bruce," the Afro-American man apologised to his rich employer.

"We're even. I owe Mrs Fox an apology and a cruise for keeping you away from home so many days a month," smiled the sleek billionaire, leaning on the work table. "What do we have?" he asked, scanning the scattered images taken by the high-tech security cameras.

"Something I'm sure you've never seen before," he replied, handing him a close-up shot of a red-blue blur. "The sensors didn't detect anyone entering. We were warned of the breach when the alarms went off but, even if the sensors had picked up something, there's no way we would have been able to stop him. What is this guy?"

"I don't know, but he's done us a great service," murmured Bruce, taking the photo from Lucius' hands.

"By stealing for Edge? You're placing a ticking bomb in the worst hands, Bruce."

"This guy's just provided us with a backdoor, Lucius. Give me all the prints and everything the cameras recorded."

"May I ask what you're intending to do about this, sir?"

"The least you know the better, Lucius. This way you won't have to commit perjury when the time comes."

Wayne didn't know who this man was that had managed to slip past the plant's security; however, the fact that he was being blackmailed by Edge using a loved one as bait and that Lex suspected about his superhuman abilities convinced Bruce he was worth covering up, at least, until he could find out more about the Blur.

_LEX'S PENTHOUSE-METROPOLIS- 7 a.m._

The smell of freshly-made coffee brought Chloe out of her quiet slumber and the gentle knocking at her bedroom door sprung her into action.

"Chloe, are you awake? May I come in?"

"Just a sec," she replied, rushing to the toilet to clean her teeth and sliding back under the sheets after bumping her foot against the dresser while looking for the sleepwear that was nowhere to be found.

"Is everything OK?" he asked, hearing her mumbled swearing.

"Yes. You may come in now," she responded, covering herself up with the burgundy satin sheets.

"Good morning," he entered the room, wearing a smug smile and carrying a tray with an extra large mug of coffee, toast, her favourite chocolate muffins and a small vase with a red tulip.

"Good morning," she greeted him, sitting up on the bed and grabbing the sheet, which was threatening to slide down and reveal her nudity. "You're spoiling me, Lex," she added when he sat down and arranged the bed tray on her lap.

"I'm a cautious man. I know what a Sullivan's like without her double dose of caffeine when she wakes up," he smirked, leaning over the tray to give her a languorous kiss which left them both breathless and decidedly aroused."You're addictive," he murmured against her lips, grazing the underside of one breast and drawing a delicious moan from her mouth.

"And you're a dangerously gorgeous distraction, Mr Luthor, but I need my sustenance to keep up with you," she sighed, pushing him gently away. "Would you mind fetching me a shirt? I can't have breakfast and struggle with these slippery decadent sheets."

"I wouldn't complain at the view," he replied seductively.

"First drawer, Lex," she told him, cocking an eyebrow.

"Rummaging through your underwear wouldn't be that bad either," he told her with a gleam in his eyes, fastening them on the creamy swell of her breasts-where her St Christopher was still resting- and noticing her pebbled peaks behind the expensive satin that was covering her luscious curves.

"Wrong drawer," she quipped, taking a sip at the frothy mug of java to distract her from the arousing effect of their verbal judo.

"This one's OK?" he asked, showing her a green shirt she'd bought on a whim a few months ago and never got to use.

"That'll do until I can get a new nightdress," she replied, munching on a piece of toast with strawberry spread.

"No more long-sleeved cotton?" he said tentatively, meeting her deep emerald eyes over the brim of her mug.

"I don't need it anymore now," she agreed, her voice charged with emotion as his loved blue-grey eyes locked with hers and she saw the same feeling reflected in them.

"I'll let you finish your breakfast and dress for the clinic while I take this call," he said, handing her the shirt a few seconds later and flipping his vibrating mobile open. "Luthor," he snapped, leaving for his den."Hold on," he added, closing the door of his study. "When did this happen? Was anything compromised? No, I'll conduct the interrogation myself. Keep him isolated until I get there. I've got another place to be first. That'll be all," he finished the conversation, taking a second incoming call. "Bruce, do you have any news? I told you we could count on him... No, Edge won't touch her... he needs her until the package's delivered... I`ve got it covered... You did? Then we only have to sit back and wait... Listen, we have to be at the clinic in an hour. Can I call you back later? Good. Bye."

_THE DAVIS CLINIC- METROPOLIS- 8.30 a.m._

Lois was pacing up and down the corridor in front of the nurses' station when Chloe stepped out of the lift flanked by Lex, who had Laurie's right hand in his, and stopped stock still. Lex had been the first one to spot the General's daughter and it had only taken him a look into the brunette's eyes to realise she knew pretty much everything.

"Oh, my God, Chloe!" gasped the eldest of the General's daughters, covering her mouth to swallow a sob before sprinting towards the blonde to wrap her arms tightly around her baby cousin,

"Lo'?" mumbled Chloe, returning the embrace after a split-second hesitation.

"Do you... do you remember me, Chlo'?" she asked shakily, trying to fight away the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

"Poor speller, typist and cook. I always had to go over your homework to make sure you didn't get a D and have to endure one of the General's colourful speeches. Do you still burn the water?" replied Chloe playfully.

"If I'd known beforehand that your talents didn't lie in the kitchen, I would have saved a heap of money on my insurance policy for The Talon," chuckled Lex, meeting Lois' glare over Chloe's shoulder.

"Mr Luthor," Lois greeted him tensely, staying close to the petite blonde.

"Miss Lane," smirked the billionaire, feeling Laurie's hold tighten on his hand as she pressed closer to his leg.

"And who would this little lady be?" smiled Lois, crouching down to be at the girl's eye level and experiencing a sudden clench in the gut the moment the three-year-old bore her intense blue-grey eyes into hers.

"That'd be Laura," said Chloe proudly, "Your second cousin," she added, choosing not to say 'My daughter' to avoid hurting Lex when all she wanted to do was to introduce the girl as 'Our daughter. Lex's daughter.'

"Why are you looking at us funny?" asked Laurie quietly but firmly, holding Lois' gaze unwaveringly.

"I'm not looking at you funny," she frowned, shooting a sidelong glance at Lex, who had a possessively protective hand on Laurie's shoulder. "This is my surprise face. I didn't know I had a second cousin. That's a cute teddy bear you have there," she added, trying to loosen up the suddenly tense atmosphere. "Does it have a name?"

"He's called Lex," she stated categorically, catching its namesake by surprise and making Chloe wonder what vibe their daughter had picked up to change Mr Bear`s name in the span of a few minutes and suddenly turn all prickly and territorial as if her father needed protection or some kind of loving acknowledgment.

"Lex, eh?" Lois cocked an eyebrow and straightened up. "Well, it's the first time I hear that name linked with a teddy bear."

"Lois," Chloe cut in, remembering her cousin's tendency to talk before thinking," have you seen Mom?"

"No. I got here half an hour ago and they told me I wasn't on the list of approved visitors," replied the brunette, turning around to look at Gabe's only daughter.

"Dr Litvack said the swelling's progressively going down and that he's considering bringing her out of the coma tomorrow," explained Lex for Lois' benefit."Why don't you go in first, Chloe?" he suggested.

"OK. Lois, I'll tell the head nurse to add your name. I'm sure Mom will love to know her favourite niece has come to visit her," she smiled before turning back to Laurie. "Baby, why don't you come with Mommy? Let's ask Ms Adair if you can hang out with your friend Suzy at the playroom, shall we?"

"It's all right, Laurie," said Lex when their daughter looked at her mother's cousin with distrust. "Go with Mom. Lois and I have to talk about some boring adult stuff."

"Hug?" whispered Laurie, opening her arms and signalling for him to lean down.

Lois observed the fleeting emotion in the usually unflappable billionaire as he complied with the little girl's wishes. The gesture was somewhat awkward- no surprise considering what kind of a relationship he'd had with his own father- but the warmth that transpired was evident even to Lois, who raised her eyes to see Chloe enthralled by the scene. Where was the world going if a Luthor was turning all soft and sappy and she- Lois Lane- was suddenly feeling sympathy for the crappy childhood he'd had?

"Bye," waved the blonde sprite, taking Chloe's hand and marching up the corridor.

"Is distrust embedded in the Luthor DNA? She doesn't seem to like me very much," grumbled Lois when her cousin and the girl were out of earshot.

"That's because, unlike me, she hasn't come across some of your most endearing qualities," replied Lex, putting his hands in the pockets of his perfectly pressed black trousers.

"Is that some kind of veiled compliment?" she cocked an eyebrow.

"No, that's me being ironical. So..."

"So... It appears the General chose to leave out an important piece of information. Have you told her yet?"

"Have I told who what?"

"Come on, Luthor, Clark can be dense but you are not him. Does the kid know who her real father is?"

"I don't see what that has to do with you."

"Chloe and that little girl are the only family I have left."

"Somehow I don't think hearing that would make the General very happy."

"You keep your thoughts about my relationship with my father to yourself, and I'll do you the same favour about yours."

"Fair enough."

"You hurt that kid or my baby cousin, Lex, and I swear to you..." she told him with glassy eyes. "Damn!" she wiped away a couple of tears."This sucks. Things would be so much easier if I could just lay all the guilt of what's happened at your doorstep, but...for the record... I still don't like you..."

"I'd never doubt that. Get to the point, Lois."

"I suppose what I'm trying to say is... that I'm sorry for the things I said back there. You know, at the funeral. I was devastated. Chloe's like a little sister to me and ..."

"I deserved everything that you said and probably more."

"Don't you dare take away from me this grand gesture, Luthor. You can do your own self-beating later. I simply meant to say that things might have gone more smoothly between us if I'd known... if I hadn't let Clark and the K... Jonathan... convinced me you had been just using her."

"It must have cost you a lot to frame that apology, so I'll take it as a show of good will. Although I must say it's unexpected, considering you and Clark are practically joined at the hip these days."

"I'm my own woman, Luthor, and Clark and I don't always see eye to eye. I'm not saying I believe everything that comes out of your mouth or LuthorCorp's PR Department, mind you, but neither you nor Chloe or your daughter-for that matter- deserved what happened to you. Now... what are your plans to make that scumbag pay for putting Aunt Moira in a coma?

"I'm working on it," he smirked.

_BASEMENT- LUTHORCORP PLAZA- AN HOUR LATER _

Lex had almost forgotten what it was like to deal with Chloe's whirlwind of a cousin. It wasn't that he couldn't handle her- she'd never been a match for Chloe when it came to verbal judo- it was just that putting up with her constant prattling and her lousy jokes, which would have put her late Uncle Gabe's too shame, was simply too much. He now had a monumental headache that had been worth it only because he'd found the perfect excuse to slip away and move a new pawn; Lois was the most trustworthy `babysitter`. Had the circumstances been any different, he would have never left a Sullivan and a Lane together- they were the perfect recipe for trouble. However, Laurie was now part of the equation and neither woman would jeopardise her security. Lois might not be his favourite person, but he knew her well enough to never doubt she'd protect her own like a mother hen.

Stepping out of his private lift, he was joined by his head of security at LuthorCorp Plaza.

"What's the detainee's status?" he asked his employee, waiting for the fingerprint scanner to grant them access to the restricted area.

"He's just come around, sir."

"Have my instructions been followed?"

"To the letter, sir. He's been contained and disarmed and is currently waiting for you in an interrogation room without wires or cameras."

"Good. You can wait here. You'll get further instructions as soon as I'm done with him," he finished, swiping his master key card and entering his private code to access the room where the unwelcome visitor was being retained. "Well, we meet face to face at last," he said, closing the door firmly behind him and eyeing the man in green handcuffed to the chair."Or should I say face to mask? Not that those dark glasses and hood covered that much. Nervous? Afraid that I'll finally find out who the leader of the terrorists in costumes is that have been breaking and entering into LuthorCorp facilities of late? I should uncover you and sue you and your Band of Merry Men for stealing and destroying private property."

"I'm not afraid of you. Even if you get your way now, justice will be served eventually. No one's above and beyond the law."

"That's just grand! Have you had a real look at yourself in the mirror? What makes you and your friends any different from those you claim to be fighting? The fact that you call yourselves heroes? _You_ believe yourselves to be above and beyond the law. You break all the rules and all the laws and hide behind your hypocritical preaching but you're no better than them. And if you believed in our justice system, you wouldn't dress up in a ridiculous costume to play judge, jury and executioner in the back alleys at night," Lex spat at him.

"I'm nothing like you," gritted Oliver, shaking in an attempt to liberate himself.

"I'm not a hypocritical holier-than-thou ass, that`s for sure. But don't delude yourself, neither you nor I will ever be him," responded Lex, looking at his interlocutor with a cynical smirk. "Your millions will never erase who you are or the darkness that is inside you. Oh, yes. Did you think that pathetic excuse of a costume and that voice changer would deceive me at close range? You must think I'm really stupid. I`ve never forgotten a face, least of all that of the man who made my life at Excelsior a living hell and turned me against the only real friend I ever had growing up."

"What do you want from me?"

"Retribution. However, I'm willing to offer you a deal."

"I'd never do a deal with a Luthor. My father trusted a Luthor once and ended up in the bottom of the sea."

"I'm not my father. I will NEVER be like him," exploded Lex. "And I'm afraid you haven't got much of a choice, Queen. You see, we caught you stealing some very sensitive information- information that the Military consider classified," he explained with barely contained energy. "Are you ready to spend the rest of your life rotting in some federal prison? Once the mask comes off the charges will pile up. I have you on tape. All your incursions into LuthorCorp facilities have been saved on my internal servers. Now we have a face to put to the Archer," he added smugly.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" asked Oliver, clenching his jaws tightly.

"I want you to put your skills at my service. Morgan Edge has kidnapped Lana Lang and I want you to rescue her. I imagine you must have noticed that your new friend in flannel is nowhere to be found. That's why Lois recruited you, isn't it?" laughed Metropolis' billionaire. ." I kind of admire her; she's willing to go the extra mile to help the one she loves just like her cousin Chloe would- even rally an ex-flame's aid. And we would do anything to deserve the love of a woman such as them. Clark is going to try to save Lana but if you don't do something about it, there'll be two more corpses to add to the count."

"What the hell are you talking about, Lex?"

"Once Edge gets what he wants to make Argus functional he won't need Lana anymore, and he isn't the kind to leave loose ends. He'll kill Clark, too."

"He won't be able to..."

"Listen, Queen, I've always known Clark is hiding something and I still don't know what exactly. However, there's something I do know. Edge had the warehouse and the cell where he kept Lana and Chloe's mother rigged with meteor rocks, and I don't think that was random. He didn't want for Clark to get near them. He won't be able to get near Lana this time either; Edge will make sure of it. So... this is what I'm offering you. You save Lana... you save them... and I make this thing go."

"How do I know you won't stab me in the back?"

"I stand a lot to lose now. Everything that ever meant something was taken from me once. We found each other again, and I won't do anything to jeopardise it again. I'm not my father, Queen," he said fiercely.

"OK. Let's go get the bastard."


	17. Private Demons

**CHAPTER 17**: Private Demons

_LEX'S PENTHOUSE- LATER THAT AFTERNOON_

Spending the morning with her cousin Lois and later on sharing the gourmet lunch Lex had had delivered to the hospital gave Chloe enough time to reconnect with her only family and jog her memory in search of precious moments which lay buried somewhere in her mind. And, most importantly, Lois' supportive presence next to her shed part of the anxiety which had been burdening her ever since she set foot in Moira's hospital room for the first time. Chloe now had someone who could help her fill in the blanks of her childhood and remember the times when Moira had been part of their lives.

"How was your morning?" asked Lex slightly breathless as he wiped the perspiration from his face with an immaculate white towel.

"Illuminating in many ways. I know you two don't get on very well with each other but.." she replied, observing him unwrap the extra gauze with which he had prepared his hands to practise a while on the punchbag in the penthouse's gym.

"She loves you, Chloe, and that's more than enough to tolerate her and even like her a little in my books," he smiled tiredly, getting closer to the blonde reporter.

"You're sweaty," she chuckled when he nuzzled her neck and then tugged gently at her earlobe with his teeth.

"Are you offering yourself to lather me up?" he whispered seductively into her ear.

"You're too fit for a sponge bath," she said, rubbing herself playfully against him and feeling the unmistakable evidence of his desire as he cupped her buttocks and brought their bodies flush for a scorching kiss which put her in a similar state of arousal.

"I... was... thinking... of... you... and... me... in... the shower," he responded, punctuating his words with a trail of kisses that started on her shoulder and ended up in the swell of her breasts.

"That sounds enticing," she sighed as he finished undoing her buttons and proceeded to unclasp the front fastening of her bra. "Lex," she moaned when he took one of her tight buds in his mouth." Lex," she repeated as he kept teasing her nipples with his talented tongue."We... should... stop, Lex... Laurie..." she panted, gripping his upper arms.

"I'm sorry..." he said, closing his eyes tightly and straightening up. "I got carried away. You've always made me lose my control."

"We _both _got carried away," she smiled as he opened his eyes.

"I've missed you so much," he replied huskily, resting his forehead on hers.

Chloe felt a tightening in her chest at the hint of desperation which laced his words. He'd missed having her in his life as a lot more than just a lover, and she trembled at the thought of what might happen to him or what he might do if he were ever to lose her and Laurie again.

She pressed a soft kiss on his lips and, cupping his face, murmured, "Well, I'm here now. We're here and we aren't going anywhere, Lex. Why don't you freshen up while I check out the encrypted server to see if there's any news from Illianovich?"

"OK. Love you," he replied, pressing a kiss on her temple and inhaling her perfumed hair before stepping back.

"Love you too," she told him with a luminous smile, knowing how alien those words had always been to Lex and how much it cost him to make himself so vulnerable by uttering them.

Chloe booted up her laptop and ran the program Illianovich had given her to hide and change her IP, making it jump all over the map. Even though they were communicating through encrypted messages, it didn't hurt to be extra careful. There was no news yet, only a bunch of spam e-mails and a message from Jerry letting her know how business at the coffee shop was doing and asking her if she had any plans for its future.

The wait was killing her and the fact that Lex had mysteriously disappeared from the clinic for two hours and dismissed her questions when he came back to pick her and Laurie up didn't help matters. She had sought him out at the gym to try to find out what he was hiding from her, but seeing him all flushed and sweaty in that pair of sweatpants- which were riding down his hips- was just too much. She had got distracted by how sexy he was, by how much she loved him, by how tender he'd been the night before and had almost succumbed to his touch again. It'd been so hard to stop, so difficult to listen to the voice of reason that told her it was the middle of the afternoon and their daughter was a few rooms away watching her favourite cartoons and that she might walk on them.

Chloe could hardly recognise this young woman inhabiting her body; there was almost no trace of sex-shy Karen Fairchild left in her. Every day that went by in Lex's company she discovered a new layer of Chloe Sullivan and her old self came back to the surface. She wondered what else she had yet to discover about herself and hoped that whatever it was wouldn't jeopardise the life they were starting to rebuild. Lex was being really understanding, not pushing her to share with him what had scared her so much about her early childhood recollections; and there were moments when she thought she'd put that fear behind her only to see it return at the oddest of times- one of those occasions being the father-daughter farewell scene at the hospital that morning.

What would happen to Lex and their baby if she ever were...? She couldn't even think of the word. Would he keep on loving her? Would he resign himself to having no life beyond that of loving father and provider like Gabe had before him? Would Laurie remember her? Would she grow up to be a young lady and resent the fact of having been abandoned by her Mom when she needed her the most? Chloe closed her eyes and berated herself for thinking along those lines, for marring the happiness and the love she'd found again with Lex. She'd overcome this; she was a survivor and she had too much to live for to torture herself with thoughts of something that might never come to happen anyway. She took a deep breath, cleaned her inbox, minimized the window and got up to fix something for an early dinner.

It was close to seven when Lex finished his shower and stepped back into his master bedroom wearing a pair of cream-coloured trousers, an unbuttoned light-blue dress shirt and no shoes. His mind was still going over the events of the day- wondering whether his decision to rally Oliver Queen's aid had been the right move- when he realised he wasn't alone in the room. Slipping his feet into a pair of Italian loafers, he observed his daughter – who was standing in deep contemplation in front of his bedside table.

There weren't many personal touches in the penthouse apart from those in his study and not even there did he keep anything that meant that much to him as the photograph that had called Laurie's attention. It was the only trace of sentimentality he'd allowed himself and one of the few treasures he had left of his childhood- a picture of himself, hairless, a couple of days after his discharge from hospital. It was a painful memory, a reminder of the moment when whatever chance he might have had of getting Lionel's love slipped away. Still it wasn't masochism what had led him to hold on to the photo; it was the fact that she was in it too with her strawberry hair and her warm presence. She had her freckled white arms wrapped around his middle, a rare smile on her face as they both posed for the picture on her family's ranch in Montana. She and Pamela had been the only ones who had touched him after the accident in the meteor shower, the only two people who loved him and didn't look at him like a freak.

Laurie took a couple of small steps forward and raised her childish arm to touch the scalp of the boy he'd been once before focusing on the patrician lady, who was looking straight at the camera. A couple of minutes went by while her eyes didn't stray from the woman's face, and Lex started feeling an odd sense of trepidation.

"Is she your Mommy?" she asked warmly, looking at him with a strange kind of intensity.

"Yes," he responded in a slightly shaky voice, seeing the girl turn her attention back to the photo.

"She smells like apples," she murmured, tracing Lillian's long hair. "I'm hungry. Mommy said dinner's ready. Are you coming?" she added, walking around the bed, innocently unaware of what four simple words had done to Lex's world.

"You were strangely quiet throughout dinner. Is everything all right?" asked Chloe while she put the dishes in the washer.

"I have a lot of things on my mind. Boring LuthorCorp stuff which we shouldn't let ruin our night," he replied, snaking his arms around her waist from behind and nuzzling her neck.

"Was that what took you away from the clinic in the morning?" she ventured.

"Chloe..."

"I won't meddle in your affairs, but I reserve the right to speak my mind if there's something I don't like. You promised not to leave me out of the loop, Lex. If it has anything to do with Edge, I want to know what's going on," she cut him off.

"There are some things you don't need to know. Some things that it'd be better for you not to be involved in," he replied gravely.

"Let me decide what's best for me to stay away from. I'm no longer an immature high school girl, Lex. I know what it's like to go out and play in the world of the adults," she said gruffly.

"Of course you do. I'm just trying to protect you, Chloe."

"I know that, Lex, but I'm not a damsel in distress for you to save. We're equals. We're partners. And I've got a right to know about anything that might affect our family in any way," she squirmed, trying to slip away from his embrace.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, tightening his hold on her. "He has Lana," he confessed, feeling her tense in his arms.

"Lana Lang?" she asked in as much a controlled voice as she could muster, considering the sudden bout of jealousy that had seized her on hearing that name.

"Yes. He's brought more innocent people into the game. She was the key for him to get the final piece of the puzzle. Edge needed her; it was the only way he could convince Clark to help him."

"Clark?" she frowned.

"He's always been Lana's personal knight in shining armour and he'd jump through hoops of fire for her. "

"But why would Edge want to use Clark... and Lana?"

"Clark's a very special young man. You yourself said the one thing you remembered about him was that he was always at the right place at the right time. If there's one thing you can rely on is his turning up when you think everything's lost. I'm sorry for Lana, but her kidnapping was the best thing that could have ever happened to us. Clark will give us the backdoor we need to get Edge and his accomplices."

"He's the one you and Bruce are waiting for," she stated as the truth dawned on her.

"_Were_. He's already picked up the package."

"And what will happen to him and Lana when he hands it over to Edge?"

"If everything turns out as planned, a friend will carry out an extraction and by that time Ilianovich will have activated the Trojan."

"This friend you're talking about... "

"He's not my friend but Clark's. I doubt we'll ever be more than old acquaintances; there's too much history between us," he explained gravely, opening a cabinet to get her favourite coffee beans to grind.

"How do you know you can trust him, then?"

"He's got too big of an ego not to do something, And this is Clark we're talking about; people have a tendency to trust him and cover his back. They'd never desert him or stab him in the back. He's not a Luthor."

"Lex," she murmured, rubbing his back and feeling the coiled muscles start to relax.

"That sounded too resentful, didn't it?" he smiled bitterly.

"You have a right to feel hurt. You're human. I don't care what the bastard told you while growing up. I don't want you to ever bottle up what's going on inside here," she told him, putting her hand on his heart.

"It goes both ways, Chloe," he replied, covering her hand with his. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"Lois has helped me a lot, filling in the blanks... not all of them... but I feel I know Mom better now," she answered, lowering her gaze and toying with the buttons of his shirt.

"Chloe," he said, tilting up her chin to look at her in the eyes," do you want to talk about it?"

"You first. What were ruminating over dinner? Don't clam up on me, Lex. It has nothing to do with business or with Edge, does it? I saw the way you studied Laurie when you thought no one was looking. "

"It was something that she said when she went to my room to let me know dinner was ready," he said grudgingly, prepping the espresso machine.

"What did she say?" she frowned, resting her hip against the work top.

"That my mother smells like apples," he answered after a slight pause. "She used the Present Tense, Chloe."

"That doesn't mean anything. You know that time is relative for children."

"How did she know, Chloe? How did she know that was her fragrance?"

"Maybe you said something..."

"No, I didn't. I would have remembered that," he shook his head."Do you think she's seen her?"

"Seen her?"

"You must think me crazy, " he laughed, rubbing his neck.

"You seem to have forgotten who you're talking to. Chloe Sullivan? The Torch? Wall of Weird? " she told him with a lopsided grin."I'm an open-minded person, Lex."

"Remember I told you your mother knows you're visiting every day? That she knows everything that's going on around her because I've been there myself?"

"Mm..." she nodded.

"Well, every time I was in a coma or fighting for my life I saw my mother. I talked to her. And the last time... she warned me what was going to happen if I continued down the path I'd taken. She knew and I didn't listen. I almost lost myself, Chloe, and if it hadn't been for my damn father and what he did..."

"It's natural to think about our loved ones- alive or dead- when we're faced with our own mortality," she murmured, squeezing his shoulder.

"And what about seeing those who are dead when you're awake?"

"That's what you think happened to Laurie?"

"Children can sometimes see things that we adults no longer can, Chloe. I used to see my Mom before Dad sent me back to Excelsior. Talking to her was the only good thing I had left when he fired my nanny Pamela. The last couple of days... I've been feeling her presence again."

"You miss her and perhaps all this affair with my Mom, her being in hospital, not knowing if she'll come around, has brought everything back," Chloe tried to explain, fetching two mugs and the creamer.

"Maybe, you're right."

"You don't believe that. I know you Lex; you'll keep on going over it until you get an answer that pleases you."

"The pot calling the kettle black. Now it's your turn, Ms Sullivan," he said, turning suddenly sober.

"Why worry about things that might never come to happen?" she murmured, opening the fridge to get her half-eaten box of Belgian chocolates.

"It isn't written we'll become our parents. Isn't that what you used to say, Chloe?" he told her quietly, covering her hand with his.

Chloe raised her bright green eyes and saw understanding reflected in his.

"It sounds like something I would say," she smiled tiredly.

"Let's have that cup of coffee and call it a night, shall we?" he suggested, grazing her cheek with his knuckles.

"It sounds like a plan," she nodded, relieved to find out that they were still so attuned to each other's feelings and worries. Sometimes it was scary to see how well they could read what the other was thinking.

_ON THE WAY TO THE DAVIS CLINIC- METROPOLIS- THE FOLLOWING MORNING _

The skies were overcast and the streets of Metropolis were virtually deserted when they left the penthouse for the clinic in the early morning. The wind had started blowing strongly around two o' clock and contributed to Chloe's insomnia-she hadn't been able to sleep at all that night and had feigned her slumber a while after making love with Lex because the temptation to ask him to stay and hold her all night long had been too strong, and explaining to Laura how they'd ended up in the same bed was something she wasn't sure the girl would be ready to process yet. The weather outside seemed to echo the commotion that was Chloe's state of mind now that she was a few minutes away from facing an awakened Moira for the first time in eleven years.

"Mommy?" said Laurie, calling her mother's attention away from the tinted windows of the silver Mercedes.

"Are you warm enough?" asked Chloe with a practised smile, adjusting the girl's parka and rubbing her little hands. "Is it better now?"

"Are you worried?" asked Laurie, resting her head on Chloe's side.

"A little, baby," confessed Chloe, wrapping her arm around their daughter's shoulders to bring her closer. `That's the understatement of the year,'

"Grandma Lillian said not to worry," murmured the girl innocently. "Said your Mommy's fine."

"Did she?" choked Chloe, locking her eyes with Lex's and seeing a well of emotion reflected in them as he focused his attention on Laurie, who was busy putting on her mittens oblivious of the way her words- meant to comfort her mother- had reshaped her father's world in a moment.

"Thomas, pull over here, please," Lex told their chauffeur calmly.

Chloe looked out of the window and frowned as he descended and walked a few metres before stopping under a tree with his back to the car. A couple of minutes elapsed and he just stood out there, the wind billowing his long Armani overcoat.

"Honey, stay here with Thomas. We'll be back in a sec, OK?" she told the girl, stepping out of the vehicle and fastening her coat tighter to protect herself against the chilling wind- it seemed winter was stubbornly resisting to leave. "Lex," she spoke up a metre away from him, getting no verbal answer but noticing he wasn't talking on the phone as she'd first suspected. "Lex," she repeated softly, placing a gloved hand on his back and seeing him look away as she came to stand in front of him.

"She knows," he murmured in a raspy voice, swallowing the big lump in his throat and feeling the treacherous tears well up in his eyes.

"This was what you were so worked up over when she mentioned your Mom, wasn't it?" she asked quietly. "It's the best thing that could have happened- her finding it out this way. She's taking it naturally, Lex," she added, cupping his cheek and making him reluctantly turn around.

"I don't want to add more confusion to her little world, Chloe," he confessed, taking a deep breath.

"You're part of her world now. She's accepted you with open arms, Lex. She was close to Phil but... this special bond you two have built up from the very first moment... I think she'll be all right. I think _we_'ll be all right," she told him, taking his hand."Why don't we go back to the car before she starts wondering what's wrong? I'm freezing my butt here," she said her teeth chattering as she hooked her arm though his to seek his warmth."You should wear a hat," she added, looking up at him.

"I'd look ridiculous," he huffed, walking towards the vehicle.

"Maybe I'll knit you one for next Christmas," she chuckled.

"I have much better occupations for you and I in mind to while away our winter nights in front of the fireplace than watching you knit me a stupid hat," he replied smugly.

"I can't wait to see what you have planned," she told him with a conspiratorial smile as they walked around the car and he opened the right back door for her to step back inside.

"Me neither," he said under his breath once she was comfortably sat, wishing the usually speedy farm boy wasn't taking so long. `Damn, Clark! What the hell are you doing back on the farm?' he hissed internally, checking out the blinking GPS tracker on his iPhone as he walked around the vehicle.

THE KENT FARM- SMALLVILLE

Getting in and out of Wayne Electronics had been a piece of cake for Clark and now that he had the artefact in his possession, his conscience was giving him a hard time. He sat in the breakfast nook, toying with the small piece of electronic engineering, staring at it as if it had all the answers he was looking for in the world. He wished he could give in to the powerful urge to char it with his heat vision and spit at Lionel's childhood friend and former associate in the face, tell him he could stuff it where the sun never shines. The man was a cold-blooded murderer- he had plotted with Lex's father to have Lachlan and Eliza Luthor killed in a tenement fire- and Clark had had a very unsavoury experience with him during his wild escapade to Metropolis later followed by the criminal's kidnapping of his parents and of him to get a sample of his Kryptonian blood. The man had been ready to hand him to Lionel Luthor as a guinea pig and, even though Clark was trying to block the memory of the role Edge had played in Lex's institutionalisation and subsequent mind wipe, he was finding it really hard.

"Clark?" asked Martha relieved on entering the kitchen and finding him sitting at the table in one piece.

"Hi, Mom!" he replied, pasting a smile on his face and stashing the artefact away.

"Where have you been? I was worried sick. You left without even saying goodbye," she chided him, leaving the laundry basket on the table and hugging him tight.

"Mom," he whined," I'm fine."

"Are you? We saw Lana leaving the farm and when we got inside you were gone. You've been tense ever since you came back home. What's the matter, sweetie?" she asked him, pulling out a chair to sit down.

"Chloe`s alive," he blurted out, feeling the need to get something off his chest.

"I know," she said softly.

"You knew?" he frowned.

"I saw the pictures. It was accidental, I was doing some house cleaning now that spring's begun and the envelope slipped to the floor."

"He lied to us. He looked at us straight in the eye and told us she was dead," simmered the farm boy.

"It wasn't like that, Clark. I was there when he got the phone call informing him about the explosion and Chloe's death."

"What?"

"I had gone to the mansion to deliver some vegetables and he asked me to come into his study to draw me a cheque for the monthly produce. You should have been there, Clark."

"Lex is an accomplished actor, Mom."

"That's your hurt talking. I know what I saw and what I felt in that room. You can't fake feelings such as those so convincingly. He can't have known she was alive. He broke down in front of my eyes, Clark. Lex would have never gone through that willingly. A few days ago I told you a lot of things passed unnoticed to you because you were too engrossed in your own crisis. Well, I judged what I saw then based not only on Lex's reaction to that call but on what I'd witnessed without his knowledge a month before. He loved her, Clark, and so did she," she confessed.

"I don't understand. He's kidnapped her. He's keeping her away from her friends and family," frowned Clark.

"Maybe you're jumping to conclusions, Clark. There has to be an explanation. Is this connected with the photos and that note enclosed? What does that horrible man want with you again?"

"Who?"

"Clark, it's too late to try to hide things from me now. There's only one person who knew about you and had close connections to Lionel Luthor- Morgan Edge. He resurrected once so it wouldn't be far-fetched to think about him as the person behind that envelope. Tell me what he wants. You've already seen him, haven't you? That's why you disappeared without a trace."

"He has Lana, Mom," he replied.

"Lana?" she echoed, cursing inwardly, kissing goodbye any possibility of talking some sense into him."What are his demands?"

"He wants this," he responded after a short pause, setting down the artefact on the dining table.

"Where did it come from?" she frowned, picking it up.

"Gotham."

"That's where you've been to? Gotham? I know this logo, Clark."

"I had no choice. He threatened to hurt Lana... and you," he confessed gruffly.

"And do you know what this is and what it does? If he sent you those pictures to make sure you had a face-off with Lex and use your recent strained history with him to lure you in, Wayne isn't the only corporation behind this artefact."

"I don't know what it is. But considering Lionel Luthor and Edge were working together again, something tells me it isn't a new system of satellite TV."

"What are you planning to do?"

"What would Dad have done in my place?"

"He's not here, Clark. All I know's he would have told you to do what was right. Now... it's up to you to decide what that is. We raised you, helped you become the young man you're today and we... I... know that whatever decision you make I'll stand by you. "

"There's more than Lana's life at stake, Mom. I just don't know if I'm doing the right thing by handing this over to Edge. It's the only leverage I have and as long as it's in my possession she'll be safe. God only knows what he'll do when he gets it."

"May I come in?" asked a well-known masculine voice behind the screen door.

"Oliver!" exclaimed Martha with a warm smile. "Please, do come in."

"Good morning, Mrs Kent," he stepped inside and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Clark," he added, grabbing his hand and giving him a pat on the back.

"Is Lois with you?" frowned Clark.

"We have to talk, Clark. We've got bigger problems than Lois," he replied grimly.


	18. Let the Game Begin

**CHAPTER 18**: Let the Game Begin

MOIRA SULLIVAN'S ROOM- THE DAVIS CLINIC- METROPOLIS

All the little pieces of the puzzle that was Chloe's life were starting to fall into place one by one, and a sixth sense told the blonde reporter that the woman who was lying in the orthopaedic bed in front of her held the key to some of her most disturbing memories, the ones that had come to her in flashbacks to haunt her waking hours.

"_Chloe? Oh, my God, Chloe! " gasped a younger Moira Sullivan._

"_Are they clean now, Mom?" asked the girl, extending her hands for her mother to inspect._

"_Oh, God, baby! I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm sorry," sobbed the older woman, seeing the childish hands covered in blood._

"_Mom, don't cry. See they're clean now," insisted the child. _

"Chloe?" a raspy voice called out from the bed.

"I promise I won't do it again, Mom," sobbed the blonde still lost in her childhood memory.

"Chloe," murmured Moira, stretching out her arm to shake her daughter gently.

"Mom?" she answered coming out of her trance.

"Honey, are you OK?" grimaced the older woman, trying to sit up.

"I can't believe you're awake and you're talking. I thought I'd never get to speak to you again," choked the blonde reporter, assisting her to straighten up the orthopaedic bed.

"Chloe, you're even more beautiful than I remember," said Moira, cupping her offspring's cheek.

"Why did you leave me, Mom? Why did you leave us?" she asked, her eyes rimmed with tears.

"Honey, walking out on you and your dad was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," she told her emotionally, wiping the tears off Chloe's face.

"Then why?"

"It was the only way I could protect you," she confessed.

"Excuse me for the interruption, ladies, but now that you're back with us, Mrs Sullivan, we have to check your vitals and run a few tests," said Dr Litvack, stepping into the room after knocking on the door.

"Chloe..." said Moira in a raspy voice, squeezing her daughter's hand gently.

"It's OK, Mom. There'll be enough time for us to catch up. I'll be right outside," smiled Chloe faintly.

"Chlo', is everything all right?" asked Lois worried, getting up from the armchair she'd been sitting in and rushing to wrap her arms around her baby cousin.

"She's just woken up," she responded shakily, welcoming Lois' warm embrace at a time when she needed all the strength and love she could get to defeat the demons that were haunting her.

Lex looked at the cousins at a distance, trying to give Chloe some space to strengthen her bonds with her close family. An hour ago he'd got a call from his trusted P.I. regarding the enquiry into Moira's past he had asked for, and some of the answers he'd been given had put him between the devil and the deep blue sea. The past couple of years he'd intensified his not-so-legal research projects and now that this had been thrown into his lap he was torn.

"Ms Sullivan," said doctor Litvak, coming out of the room with Moira's chart in his hands.

"Yes?" she answered discreetly wiping her eyes.

"What's the prognosis, Dr Litvack?" asked Lex, joining the group.

"Her vitals look fine, but I'd like to do a CAT scan and some blood tests. I'd prefer to have her under observation for a few more days," explained the physician. "We're prepping her now."

"Cuz, why don't we go to the cafeteria to grab a cup of coffee and a doughnut in the meantime?" suggested Lois.

"That's a good idea. There's nothing we can do but wait, Chloe," said Lex. "I have to make a couple of phone calls. Why don't you take Laurie with you? I'll let you know when they're bringing her back."

"OK," she complied.

"I want you to give me a few minutes alone with the patient before taking her down for her CAT scan," he told the physician once the three girls had mounted on the elevator.

"Mr Luthor..."

"I need to have a word with her. You're an intelligent man, Doctor. You decided not to share all the information with Ms Sullivan, but you know there's more to Moira's condition than a concussion."

"I ordered a second blood test because there were traces of an unknown substance in the samples," confessed the middle-aged physician. "She says she doesn't remember being injected anything."

"I have a hunch she'll talk to me," he told the doctor gravely."Were the rest of the parameters all right?"

"Yes."

"Stall the blood test. "

"But..."

"Dr Litvack, I have the patient's best interest at heart. She's the mother of the woman I love and the only grandmother our daughter'll ever get to know. Give me five minutes and she's all yours."

Lex entered the private room as soon as the head nurse finished preparing the patient. He closed the door firmly behind him and met a pair of emerald green eyes, which were a carbon copy of the ones he got lost in every night. Although Moira Sullivan was still a young and very attractive woman, Lex knew she wasn't just a pretty face- she had brains and had once had a very promising career in the world of journalism, which she sacrificed at the same time she disappeared.

"Mrs Sullivan, my name's..."

"I know who you are. You're the son," she cut him off.

"I want to believe I'm far more than that," he told her, trying to keep the resentment out of his voice.

"I can see there was no love lost between you two," she replied with a quirk of her mouth."Good. I saw the way you were around my daughter while I was lying here. Further proof that I belong in a sanitarium, isn't it?" she chuckled. "You love each other deeply, I can tell."

"You aren't crazy. You've never been and we both know it. That wasn't the reason you left your husband and Chloe."

"I'm a dangerous woman, Mr Luthor."

"Call me Lex, Mrs Sullivan. I know Chloe's been having flashbacks about the day they came for you. I haven't pressured her to tell me more, but I've heard her talk in dreams. She's been having nightmares lately of which she doesn't speak during the day."

"I wish I could have spared her that. Everything's my fault."

"She's torturing herself over the thought of going insane some day. And we both know that won't happen. When was the last time you got a shot?"

"What?"

"Don't insult me feigning ignorance. Mrs Sullivan. My father knew exactly what ailed you and Edge must have continued with the program. I'm still learning about my father's secret projects and you took part in one of them."

"What do you want from me?" she asked shakily.

"I'm not a monster like my father, Mrs Sullivan. I know getting his help came with a price. You were digging into his past and the shady origins of LuthorCorp. You were lucky to have such an extraordinary ability; I'm sure it was the only thing that saved you. My father was obsessed with the meteor-infected. Stumbling upon the truth about my grandparents cost Chloe and I a lot too. I want you to tell her of my father's role in your disappearance, but the truth about your condition will remain a secret between us."

"Lies have never been the best way to build a relationship upon."

"She's too fragile to deal with this too right now. Chloe's suffered enough already. I don't want her to start thinking of herself as some kind of freak. You won't add to her anguish. I won't allow it."

"She'll want answers for the nightmares she's been having."

"Leave that in my hands. I'll procure the serum for you. I won't let you slip into unconsciousness and desert your daughter once again."

THE KENT FARM- SMALLVILLE- TWO HOURS LATER

"Clark, I once told you that you can't keep hiding on this farm. You've got to learn there's strength in numbers and you should know when to accept a hand if it's offered. We must work as a team now or you'll stand no chance," Oliver tried to convince Clark.

"Where you overhearing us while we talked in the kitchen? Is that how you learnt Edge has Lana?" frowned Clark.

"Unfortunately, no. When I got here I told you we had bigger problems than Lois... I meant Lex. He's the one who told me about Lana. He even talked me into rescuing her and giving _you_ a hand."

"What?"

"Yeah, that was my exact same reaction when I heard the words coming out of his mouth," he chuckled.

"But why would he ask for _your_ help? You're nothing to him but a corporative enemy," replied Clark baffled.

"Well, we're more than just that. But... let's say... he caught me with the hand in the cookie jar."

"Tell me you didn't let Lois convince you to..."

"I didn't need much convincing once I knew Lex was involved. It wouldn't have been the first time I broke into LuthorCorp property, and she didn't have to know that. She just thought I'd use my resources and contacts to find out what kind of business the Luthors have with Edge. Unfortunately, I'm not superhuman and after our latest incursions Lex strengthened his security. I was put out of the game with a damn tranquiliser dart," gritted Oliver.

"Do you mean ...?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. As soon as he saw me at close range he didn't have to rip off my hood to realise who I was. Luthor's a man better not to underestimate, Clark, and believing you can outsmart him is foolhardy. "

"How did you get away?"

"I didn't. He had all the cards in his hand and played them. He has all my incursions saved and hidden somewhere. It won't matter what was going on there, Clark, the legal system would be on his side because we systematically violated and destroyed private property. I still believe the end justifies the means but I might not be the only one to have to pay the piper if I fell. He didn't say it outright, but he suspects you're 'special' and I've got sound reasons to believe he knows about your weakness."

Chloe? The year of the trial she'd been investigating him. They had had a major fallout because he'd found out she'd been digging into his adoption. God only knew what she had stumbled upon while working for Lionel Luthor. Now she was supposed to be amnesiac and yet... what if she'd discovered the truth about him and ... Lex had managed to get it out of her.

"What makes you say that?" asked Clark with a clench in the gut.

"He noticed the warehouse was rigged with meteor rocks and... let's face it, Clark, he was your friend long before we two met. He must have seen you make one of your appearance- disappearance acts more than once. His Porsche ended up open like a can of sardines. I would suspect you too," replied Oliver ironically. "He said Edge would make sure not to leave loose ends and that you wouldn't be able to get near Lana. The Luthors have never been my favourite people and my doing this won't change that. However, Edge is scum too and he's got far-reaching connections. If he falls, the rest will follow suit... just like a house of cards. "

"If Edge suspects I've come with back-up..." protested Clark.

"You just have to make sure he gets the device. Once his technician plugs it in and runs the program, he'll be toast."

"How do we know this isn't one of Lex's traps?"

"I've corroborated something he said thanks to an old childhood friend of mine. Jason's dad owns the biggest law firm in Metropolis and his family bears a big grudge against the Luthors. He used to go to Law School with Gotham's Assistant DA, and she confirmed her office is expecting a major breakthrough very soon, that someone powerful in Metropolis is going to make sure they get what they need to nail several big sharks from both cities."

Could Chloe be rubbing on Lex after all? Had Martha been right about their being in love? Was Lex trying to make amends for the past or, at least, taking a few steps to do the right thing? Clark couldn't help but remember there had been a time when the billionaire would do things for him, his family and friends without asking for anything in return. So much had happened since then that Clark could only see secret agendas behind everything that his former friend ever did. Was this time any different?

"OK," said Clark after a long silence. "Let's do it."

BASEMENT-LUTHORCORP PLAZA

Three hours had gone by since Moira came out of coma, and Chloe and Lex were back at the Metropolis headquarters of his corporation to make sure Edge and his partners couldn't get away with their plans. Clark seemed to have made up his mind and played Lana's ubiquitous knight in shining armour, delivering the package to Lionel`s former associate for Dr Ilianovitch to turn Argus fully functional- Lex's GPS tracker had started blinking the minute Chloe stepped out of Moira's private room.

There was no time to waste because, as soon as the Trojan finished collecting all the data concerning each and every illegal business carried out by the biggest sharks of the Gotham and Metropolis Crime Syndicates, Ilianovich would tell Edge the system was armed and hell would break loose. Not only would the bastard realise he no longer needed Clark and Lana, he'd start getting phone calls demanding he explained how Intergang`s firewall had been penetrated leaving the whole organisation vulnerable.

"How's the download going?" asked Lex, gripping the back of Chloe's swivel chair.

"There's only ten per cent missing and I'll disconnect," said she, sitting at the -art computer. "Do you think Clark and the rest will manage to get away in time?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

"Let's hope for the best," he replied, squeezing her shoulder gently. "Are you OK?" he added softly.

"I still have a lot to process but yes, I'm better now that I talked with her and we cleared the air between us. It's funny that the same man who tore you and me asunder and brought us together again took my mother away from me and reunited her with me after so long , isn't it? That damn secret has destroyed so many lives," she said, biting her lower lip. "I'm sorry I couldn't share all my memories with you, Lex. I was so scared. My mind was so boggled that I no longer knew what was real and what was just my fear coming to the surface. Right before Mom woke up I had a particularly disturbing flashback, involving my hands covered in blood, and it turned out I just had hurt one of them playing kickball when I was eight. I didn't imagine those men in white taking her away, though. They worked for your father..."

"He can no longer hurt her... or us. Your mom is in the best of hands now, Chloe. Dr Litvack believes she'll be ready to be discharged the day after tomorrow. We'll help her look for a place in Metropolis. In the meantime, she can stay with us at the penthouse. You agreed to that but, if you'd rather we made other arrangements..."

"It's what Mom and I want, Lex," she smiled."Thanks for being so understanding."

"I just want to see you happy, Chloe," he said softly, hoping _she_ would be understanding if the time ever came for her to find out that he'd kept information from her concerning Moira`s meteor freak condition and the very strong chance she herself might also be one.

"Having found our way back to each other and seeing you bond with our daughter makes me happy. Getting my mum and Lois back in my life just adds to my joy. I'm still discovering who I am, but I'm happy, Lex, happy as I can't remember being in ages," she told him with glassy eyes, tilting up her face to meet his lips in a brief but reassuring kiss. "We're done," she added as a ding announced the download of the data was complete. "You can call him now."

"Come on... come on, Wayne. Where the hell are you?" grumbled Lex on his mobile phone when his partner didn't pick up.

HELL'S GATE- OFF THE COAST OF METROPOLIS

Morgan Edge's headquarters were located in one of the most exclusive residential areas on the oceanfront of Hell's Gate. The house was an opulent mansion, which he had acquired with the illegal proceeds he'd amassed as the head of Intergang, but nobody in the neighbourhood had even seen him move in- the man had been dead to the world for three years. Clark wondered if any of the people living next door would even mind who lived in the impressive house or what was going on there, considering three-quarters of the island's population were nouveaux- riches that had made their fortune using dubious methods.

The meeting with the Crime Lord took place in an underground bunker, which Clark realised was connected to the mainland by a series of well-hidden canals- that's how they'd disappeared from the warehouse leaving no trace behind. On being admitted into the secluded rooms where the operation was being held the farm boy couldn't help but admire the older man's thoroughness; the walls and the door behind which he was sure Edge was holding Lana captive were lined with lead, making it impossible for him to use his x-ray vision to verify Lex's assumption that the place was rigged with kryptonite. Oliver had come along and stationed nearby at the ready to intervene once Edge had ascertained the item delivered wasn't fake. Clark hoped Lex was wrong because with his powers diminished by the meteor rocks he wouldn't be of much help and there was only one way out- through the door. The site was a logistics nightmare and Oliver Queen was a well-trained human- human being the operative word here.

"So, Kal, let's see what we've got here, shall we? Doctor, is this what you needed?" said Edge, taking the device from Clark's hand and handing it over to Illianovich.

"It looks like it. Let me run a test before trying the codes," replied the Russian technician, inserting the gadget into one of the USB ports.

"Your verdict?" asked Edge impatiently.

"It's armed," said the doctor.

"Well, now that I've delivered, I want you to give me what you promised when we made the deal," butted in Clark.

"Dr Illianovich, could you excuse us, please?" Edge addressed the technician with a suave smile.

"Of course, sir. I'm done here. The programme's already running," responded the Russian, making his way to the door, where two of Edge's security men were stationed.

"So, Kal..."

Oliver saw through his binoculars the door of the bunker open and the man he recognised as Lex's mole leave the premises flanked by two bodyguards; the job must have already been done. He was itching to storm into the bunker, immobilise Edge, grab Clark and the girl and get the hell away from the place before Intergang infested the property with their blood-thirsty operatives. However, nothing would be accomplished if he rushed in before the Trojan Lex had had planted collected the information they needed to nail Lionel Luthor's former partner and with him the biggest crime lords in the Big Apricot and Gotham.

"Interesting choice of wardrobe, Prince of Thieves," said a grave voice to his left. "I suggest aiming that arrow at the bad guys," he added when Oliver rolled over and tensed the bowstring in his hands.

"And who are you supposed to be? " frowned Oliver, eying the black-caped man behind the mask.

"I'm your army of one. The information's safe," he told him gravely. "It's time to get the young lady and your friend out."

"And I'm expected to follow your lead why?" asked the archer, knitting his eyebrows.

"Because I've got brains and the coolest toys?" he replied with a poker-face. "You'll need all the help you can get if you three are to leave the premises alive. The people of Gotham are as interested as you are to put these criminals behind bars and throw away the key. Intergang's second-in-command must be dialling Edge's number right now to inform him their firewall has been breached. The property will be flooded with thugs soon. I suggest you take down those two bodyguards with your bow and I'll get us in and out," he explained, stepping aside as his state-of-the- art vehicle- which he had operated with a remote- came to a stop in front of a dumbstruck Oliver Queen.

"What did you say your name was?"

"You can call me Batman, Green Tights," responded Lex's business partner, climbing into the batmobile.

"Arrow. Green Arrow," Oliver corrected him.

"OK, Archer. Do your magic and step aside," finished Gotham's caped-crusader, sealing the door of his armoured vehicle.

"Getting orders from a flying rat," mumbled Oliver, nocking an arrow with a tranquiliser."I never thought I'd see the day," he added, shooting at the bodyguard closer to the door. "Let the game begin."


	19. The Other Side

**CHAPTER 19:** The Other Side

_LEX`S PENTHOUSE- METROPOLIS- LATE EVENING_

It was eight o'clock in the evening and Lex was getting dressed for dinner when he received Bruce's confirmation that the data had arrived safe and sound at Gotham's DA office. It was the first time in weeks he was able to breathe relieved; just a few hours ago his contact at Metropolis PD had informed him that a van driven by the Green Arrow- holding Edge and the heads of Intergang from The Big Apricot in handcuffs- had parked in front of the central headquarters. In addition, a man known by both criminals and law-enforcers as the Batman had delivered the district attorney a message to contact his Gotham counterpart, who had all the necessary information to prosecute the Crime Lords. Edge and his band were now in custody awaiting arraignment to set bail, which the local DA hoped wouldn`t be granted.

Neither Clark nor Lana had been mentioned by the detective, but the news of their well-being came through another very vocal source- Lois Lane- who was still on her mobile phone giving the farm boy an earful after the dressing-down Oliver Queen had had to endure for having disappeared on her. Lex knew he himself would be next on the list and that he'd have to pacify her to be able to enjoy a quiet family dinner of three without going to bed with a gigantic headache. Chloe was setting the table now that his security had delivered the takeaway he'd ordered from his favourite Italian restaurant and Laurie was already in bed after having a meal earlier. He couldn't wait for dinner to be over because, then, Lois would leave and he'd have Chloe all to himself to celebrate the removal of another hurdle on their road to happiness.

Lex was finishing buttoning up his shirt when a blood-curdling scream came from their daughter's nursery, interrupting his musings. He barged into the girl's room with his heart in his mouth half-expecting to find her hurt or gone- maybe kidnapped by one of Edge's emissaries- only to find her sitting up on her bed amidst tears.

"Daddy!" she sobbed, flinging herself into his arms as he sat down.

"It's OK, honey," he whispered in her ear, feeling the pricking of tears behind his eyelids on being called by the name he'd been yearning to hear on her lips. "It was just a bad dream. You're safe," he added huskily as she clung to him. "Daddy's here, Laurie," he told her, brushing her long golden hair with soothing fingers as she leant her head on his shoulder."No one'll hurt you," he tightened his embrace, revelling in the feel of his baby's small frame in his arms.

Chloe stood at the door of the nursery fighting back the tears which were threatening to spill. Who could mistake this amorous father so desperate to be loved by his baby for the monster Lionel Luthor had been? If only the world could see Lex the way she did. If only they could learn to understand him and see in him the man he could be- the man he was- instead of the man they expected him to be because of the surname he bore.

"I'm afraid of the clown. What if he comes for me?" Laurie hiccupped, her voice muffled by his blue dress shirt.

"That clown won't come to get you because he isn't real. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, OK?" he comforted her.

"Chlo`" murmured Lois, who had witnessed the whole scene standing in silence behind her baby cousin.

Chloe nodded with a small smile, understanding Lois' gentle nudge to leave father and daughter alone.

Back in the kitchen both cousins worked plating the food in an unusually companionable silence.

"He adores that kid," said the eldest woman after a while.

"You sound surprised," replied Chloe with a hint of accusation in her voice.

"You haven't been around to see him these past three years, Chlo'. You wouldn`t blame me for having my reservations if you'd been there to witness some of the things he did. It was starting to get very difficult to tell him from the old bastard."

"He's ashamed of a lot of things he's done. I just wish people would give him a chance. He's a good man, Lo'," said Chloe, taking the cutlery from the top drawer.

"I`ve got to admit that hanging out with you guys these days has let me discover a different side to Lex. You're good for him. Maybe it was losing you what pushed him down the dark path. It must be scary... for you, I mean. I don't know if I'd be able to handle being someone's everything. He`s always looked so... I can't find the word to define him... "

"Unflappable? Self-sufficient? " suggested Chloe with a small smile.

"Yeah. He always gave me the impression of not needing anyone."

"Smoke and mirrors. But don't you say that to him," chuckled the blonde cousin.

"What am I not supposed to be told?" Lex butted in, grabbing a bottle from the wine rack.

"You aren't the only guy in the universe, Luthor," replied Lois, filling a basket with an assortment of spice-flavoured breadsticks.

"Speak for yourself, Lois," smirked the billionaire, shooting a meaningful glance at Chloe.

"God, he'll get a head as big as the Sharks Stadium if you let him, cuz!" exclaimed the General's daughter, noticing the sudden blush on Chloe's cheeks as she feigned being busy fetching the glasses.

"For all your independence, Lois, I'm sure you're yearning to be someone's 'universe' as you put it," said Lex, uncorking the wine.

"Speaking of which, what was that about Clark and you?" asked Chloe, munching on a breadstick and looking at Lex with amusement when he cocked an eyebrow.

"Smallville and I?" frowned the brunette. "There's no Clark and I. I can't stand the guy. We keep fighting all the time. He's a real pain in the butt," she shook her head, taking the crockery and the place mats to lay the table. "Where in heaven's name did you get that crazy idea from?"

"Well, it must have been something you said to Queen on the phone," shrugged the youngest cousin.

"Me thinks the lady protests too much. Don't you agree, Chloe? Or are you afraid of the competition, Lois?" added a poker-faced Lex, taking a sip of Chardonnay.

"You shut up, Luthor!" glared Lois, coming back to the kitchen.

"Competition?" echoed Chloe, knitting her eyebrows as she feigned ignorance. "Oooh, right! Lana Lang."

"And you, Chloe, you should know better than to eavesdrop," she told her baby cousin.

"Eavesdrop? I'd be surprised if the man at reception didn't hear you give Queen and Clark a dressing-down," chuckled Chloe.

"Say, Lois, weren't you and Queen an item?" Lex cut in.

"Luthor," replied Lois menacingly, "if you`d like to give the apple of your eyes a little sister or brother- and I saw you, Chlo'- I suggest you stop laughing at my expense. I know what you're doing. You're trying to distract me so that I forget to ask you why you two took the one-sided decision not to inform me what you were planning to do about Edge. "

"Lo', we were just trying to keep the people involved to a minimum in case something went wrong. Enough innocent people had got hurt already," responded Chloe.

"I'm a big girl; I don't need protecting. Besides, we were talking about my family too. You're the closest thing I have to a sister and Aunt Moira's the only Mom I've known since my mother died, Chlo'. And Smallville... well... "

"It's OK, Lois, you can admit you like him," said Chloe with a smile.

"You could do much worse than Clark Kent," added Lex as they sat down at the table.

"You knew he'd play Lana's knight in shining armour and you used him," Lois told him accusingly.

"He offered himself. Even if I hadn't paved the way for him to get the device, he'd have stepped in to save the day, and deep down you know it, Lois. If you want to blame someone for putting him at risk, blame Edge and Clark`s own nature- I simply seized the opportunity. And, by the way, if I didn't care about him, I wouldn't have made sure he had someone to cover his back at all times," replied the billionaire. "You seem to forget we were best friends once and- what's more, he's Martha's son- and Senator Kent's been nothing but kind to me ever since I came to Smallville. Her son and I might have our differences, but she means a lot to me... and Chloe. She was the only one that knew about us back in Smallville and never judged us. Her words and advice helped me a lot after the safe house explosion."

"Martha's a great woman," agreed Lois. "He's one lucky guy to have such a cool mom."

"He certainly is," said Lex. "I know you meant well when you started digging into the Edge affair, Lois. But the situation demanded a cold-headed approach to minimise the damage."

"Afraid I was going to turn into a loose cannon? You should have told me anyway. I hate not being kept in the loop," grumbled Lois.

"Truce?" asked Chloe, squeezing her eldest cousin's hand.

"Only because I wouldn't like to leave Pooh's fan an orphan. Now how about serving me a double portion of lasagne with extra cheese to appease my hidden warrior?" replied Lois, unfolding the napkin on her lap.

Their first family dinner went quite well after the initial tension, and Chloe was happy both her cousin and Lex were doing their best to reach a compromise for her sake. Although she was just starting to reacquaint herself with Lois, Chloe felt a strong sisterly affection towards her, and the thought of having to choose between the General's daughter and Lex was simply too painful.

Talks of Laurie virtually monopolised their conversation; the little girl once again proved to be the Heaven-sent angel who might heal the slights Lex had been submitted to by the prejudiced world that had never been able to see beyond his name. Laurie had been God's blessing for Chloe at a time when the blonde reporter had lost everything, and the girl was now the blessing Lex needed to be the man Chloe knew he could be.

Lois was just a speck of dust in the hostile world that was Lex's; however, seeing the brunette warming up to him gave Chloe hope and added to her joy. Even though she wouldn't mind living with Lex and Laurie forever in their small loving cocoon, she knew the little hurt boy who inhabited behind his mask craved human affection and acceptance; he might believe Laurie`s love and hers was enough but Chloe wanted him to have a loving safe net in case something ever happened to them. Lex needed friends now more than ever after making himself vulnerable by opening his heart to let her and their baby in.

It was past midnight when Chloe closed the front door having seen Lois to the lift. Lex had finished loading the dishwasher and was sitting in his favourite armchair savouring the last dregs of bourbon from his snifter with the lights of the living room now dimmed.

"Exhausting, isn't she?" smirked he as she kicked off her shoes and crossed the Aubosson carpet to sit on his lap with a sigh.

"It felt like defusing a bomb," she chuckled when he nuzzled her neck. "Thanks for being so patient."

"Anything to make you happy and have you all to myself before sunrise," he smiled, sliding down the strap of her dress and pressing a kiss on her shoulder.

"Oh, Lex Luthor and his secret agendas!" she murmured, starting to undo the buttons of his dress shirt.

"I got the impression you were counting the minutes too," he tugged at her earlobe, letting his hands slide up her thighs as he bunched up her knee-length purple dress to reveal a very sexy pair of black lace knickers. "Tell me it was your foot that played with my leg and a distinct part of my anatomy under the table and not that your cousin was hitting on me," he nibbled at her lower lip.

"You got me," she replied mischievously, rearranging her legs to straddle him. "Now, the question is..." she cocked an eyebrow as she untucked the shirt out of his trousers and leant forward to splay her hands over his chest and bring their mouths closer again,"... are you too tired for a little entert.."

The taunting question died on her lips as he cupped the back of her head and drew her instantly to his mouth. She opened to the passionate onslaught of his tongue and responded in fashion, meeting him stroke for stroke. Soon she found her dress had somehow ended up bunched around her hips and that Lex's dexterous fingers had unclasped her matching strapless bra to have better access to her luscious curves.

"You were saying?" he murmured huskily, peppering kisses on her breasts and avoiding the pebbled peaks which were yearning to be suckled.

"You're mean," she gasped when his lips made a sudden detour and, instead of attending to her straining nipples, they brushed the underside of her heavy breasts.

"Payback for putting me in this state when you knew Lois wouldn't leave until after dessert," he replied as he brought the evidence of his arousal in contact with her now damp panties. "Didn't you wonder why I didn't do the gentlemanly thing and just remained seated when Lois got up to leave?"

"And me that thought you just wanted to piss her off," she panted, rocking her hips gently to get some friction on her still clad bundle of nerves. "Lex," she moaned when he slipped off her lacy lingerie and his expert hands tended to her.

"You're beautiful like this, Chloe. Passionate and uninhibited only in my arms," he murmured next to her lips."Don't be afraid to let go, baby," he told her, hearing her laboured breathing and feeling her flutter around his fingers.

"Laurie," she chocked, trying to stave off her climax but too far gone to stop his intimate caresses.

"Let go, Chloe. I've got you," he encouraged her, leaning forward to press his mouth against hers in time to swallow her powerful release.

"It's not fair," she said breathless a few moments afterwards as her feminine core still fluttered seeking in vain to keep him enveloped in her warmth. "Why am I the only one who's virtually nude?"

"Logistics?" he smirked.

"You don't need to be always the selfless one, Lex," she told him, realising he'd kept his trousers on to delay his satisfaction and take care of hers first. "We'll have to do something about this soon," she smiled, brushing his crotch as she unbuckled his belt to start working on his zipper.

"We'd better move this to the bedroom," he said huskily, stopping her hand before she could touch him more intimately and put a sudden end to what he hoped would be a celebration of their first giant step towards deliverance.

"Yes, you're right," she agreed, scrambling off his lap to pull up her dress and cover up her nakedness. Karen Fairchild would have never got blind by desire and be so risqué as to make love in an armchair. What would they have done if Laurie had woken up after a nightmare and sought them out?

"Chloe," he murmured, noticing the blush on her cheeks as he stood up with the discarded blue dress shirt in his hands.

"God, I never lose my head this way," she said shakily, raking her fingers through her hair.

"That isn't true, Chloe. This is you. This is us. We'll just have to remember we're three now," he cupped her cheek before pressing a soft kiss on her lips.

"I love you, Lex," she told him when he closed the door of his bedroom."Did I use to say it aloud?" she asked him when he stopped in front of her.

"We were too afraid of the farewell to say the words aloud," he replied.

"I never told you I loved you?" she said appalled.

"I didn't confess my feelings until our last time together either, Chloe, so don't beat yourself about it."

"Don't try to make me feel better, Lex."

"I'm not..."

"Yes, you are. "

"Chloe, there were extenuating circumst..."

"Well, to hell with them," she snapped, putting her fingers on his lips to stop him from completing the sentence. "I'll have to compensate you for all those times I didn't tell you how much I love you," she added, standing on tiptoe to brush her lips against his as she released the hold on her dress and it pooled around her feet.

"That is something I could get used to," he smiled, deepening the kiss she initiated. "Chloe," he said in a raspy voice as she helped him shimmy out of his trousers and boxers.

"I love you, Lex," she repeated when he picked her up effortlessly and she wrapped her legs round his middle.

He laid her gently on the king-sized bed and let out a strangled moan as gravity pulled him a couple of centimetres into Chloe's warm and tight glove. She looked into his stormy blue grey eyes and saw the internal struggle he was wielding to keep his darker half at bay. Every time they'd made love since their reunion he'd been nothing but tender and gentle with her, but Chloe had always noticed he fought for restraint as if he were afraid of hurting her or of scaring her away. She loved him for it and still, yearned for Lex to share all of him with her and that included embracing that part which had tormented him for years.

"This is for you, Lex. Let me love you, all of you," she told him, lifting her hips off the mattress a little bit to bring him deeper. "Don't hold back."

He replied with a couple of short and tentative pushes into her clinging channel to find the angle that would give her the most pleasure. And when he did, he held her gaze to ascertain this was really what she wanted.

"Don't be afraid to let me love you, the whole of you. I won't break, and I have no intention of leaving your side," she murmured, looking into his eyes as she responded with an eager rocking of her hips. "We`ve come to stay, Lex. You won't scare me away. You asked me to let go just a few minutes ago. Now it's your turn."

And he did. He poured into their coming together all the love and passion he had bottled up inside not to frighten her with his overwhelming feelings and his neediness. And as he came undone and she reached the second peak of the night, he shed the final plate of his armour.

"Marry me," he croaked reluctant to leave her warmth. "It's OK. You don't have to answer now," he added when the silence dragged on. "I'm sorry, Chloe. God, did I hurt you?" he asked with panic in his voice as he saw two big tears roll down her cheeks.

"Yes," she gasped. "Don't..." she stopped him when he started to pull away and she noticed the look of self-loath in his expressive eyes. "You didn't hurt me, Lex. I meant my answer to your proposal is yes," she smiled, cupping his cheek and feeling him immediately relax.

"Are you sure? Maybe I've been selfish to pop the question all of a sudden. Believe me, there's nothing in this world I want more than for us to be married- it`s what I've wanted ever since that summer and was the one thing I couldn`t offer you then. But I don't want to rush you into anything, Chloe. There are people who think of me in much the same way they thought of my father and their feelings invariably end up reflected on those closest to me. I'd hate for you and Laurie to get hurt because of me. I'm not an easy person to live with and I wouldn't like you to feel pressured to tie yourself to me out of some misguided belief you owe me anything."

"I'm not a romantic fool. I know living in your world won't be a bed of roses and that we'll fight over many things. I'm sure us being married will be anything but boring," she chuckled, drawing a smile out of him.

"I count on it. We'll wait until this business is officially over and then we`ll make the arrangements. I'll give you carte blanche. I'm sure your mother will like to help and you can even involve Lois if you want."

"OK, but you have to promise me you won't kill each other before the wedding. I need my groom and, at least, a bridesmaid to make it to the altar," she laughed good-humouredly. "Do you think they'll refuse them bail?" she asked, veering the conversation after he rolled them on their side not to crush her under his weight.

"The arraignment's on Monday. The judge who's been appointed has a reputation for being incorruptible, according to Bruce. We're optimistic. The evidence presented is over-whelming and sending such big sharks to prison can make many people's careers."

"I cannot wait for this thing to be over. I'm tired of hiding. Don't get me wrong... I'm enjoying certain perks," she smiled seductively, sliding one of her legs along his thigh and feeling the sparks starting to ignite once again as she taunted him with a tentative pump.

"Why am I getting the feeling you're only interested in my body?" he smirked, rolling on his back.

"We`ve got to catch up on the three years we lost. And... I enjoy being shallow from time to time, love discovering new ways to have you remove your shirt so I can see the shapely arms and abs you work so hard for at that gym of yours. I love knowing I'm the only one that gets to see them," she purred into his ear, stretching her body on top of his and rubbing the sensitive tips of her breasts against his chest.

"And I'm the one people refer to as possessive?" he moaned, pressing a trail of warm kisses along the column of her throat and sliding both of his hands under her buttocks to encourage and guide her.

"I love possessive you. I think it's sexy and tender when it's triggered by your instinct to protect me and Laurie."

"Well, I like your possessiveness too. It means no one's managed to lure you away from me," he murmured against her lips.

"It's nice to be the centre of someone's universe for a change, isn't it?" she replied, pressing a few short kisses on his lips.

"Yes, it is," he said, cupping the back of her head and devouring her in a hungry kiss.


	20. Trials and Miracles

**CHAPTER 20: **Trials and Miracles

_METROPOLIS – MONDAY MORNING_

After a quiet family weekend to help Moira get used to her new environment, Chloe and Lex prepared themselves for what they hoped would be the last step towards deliverance. Edge and his local accomplices appeared in court around nine o'clock on Monday morning, attracting the interest of the leading newspapers and TV stations from Metropolis and the most important cities in America. Judge Marcovich presided over the arraignment session and announced his verdict at midday, forty-five minutes after finishing hearing the DA and the Crime Lord's lawyers. When the gavel came down sealing the magistrate's decision to refuse bail, the tense silence which had seized the court was broken by both expletives and hurrahs while the cameras flashed snapping pictures of the defendants as they were taken into custody again before veering towards LuthorCorp's CEO and his blonde companion to register their reaction.

Chloe's joyful relief translated into an emotionally tearful display as she leant against Lex and let herself be wrapped in his arms under the attentive look of Clark Kent and Oliver Queen, who had witnessed the legal proceedings sitting on a bench on the other side of the courtroom. Now they only had to wait for Bruce to make his promised phone call once the arraignment of the Intergang's leaders in Gotham was over and a date was set for the federal trial.

On their way out of the courtroom the young couple was assailed by several hotshot reporters covering the exclusive. Lex talked briefly with them saying they had no comment for the time being and that LuthorCorp's PR department would release a statement for the press in the evening. Although Lex and his corporation had quite a lot to gain in terms of money and public image from their involvement in the arrest and prosecution of some of the most sought-after criminals in America, the young tycoon couldn't care less at the moment. His main concern was to get his family away from the spotlight and start to make arrangements for their future together.

Clark observed his two former best friends at a distance as they walked down the front stairs of the courthouse flanked by a couple of bodyguards. He still found it difficult to get used to the idea that they were an item, that they had loved each other for so long... and that they had a child. The news that Chloe's little girl wasn't Fairchild's offspring but Lex's had come out of Lois's mouth during their first face-to-face meeting on the farm, following their fallout over the phone. Martha had had to act as a mediator between the two when the General's daughter arrived to deliver a research she'd done for the senator. Even though the older woman had noticed the unusual tension in their rapport immediately, she had also discovered something which made her mother's heart warm; there was something more in the air which had always crackled with energy around them. Maybe the memory of Lana Lang and her ghost would be put to rest once and for all. What's more, Martha's sixth sense told her Lois knew something about Clark's secret and yet, for once, Jonathan's widow didn't feel threatened by that suspicion. Maybe it was time Clark shared his gift and his burden with someone else.

"Let's get away from this circus," murmured Lex with his arm around Chloe's waist, reaching the side of the limo, where Laurie and Moira were waiting for them.

"I hate admitting it, Clark, but they do look good together," said Oliver, standing next to the farm boy and seeing Lex turn around to meet both their gazes."And the bastard seems to love her," he added as Lionel's first born nodded at both superheroes in thankful acknowledgement. "A big part of me has trouble believing it but, maybe it takes the love of a good woman to redeem a man raised by a monster."

"I just hope you aren't wrong, Oliver. And pray nothing happens to her or their girl. Because, if he does love them as deep as he hates, we'll be in big trouble," replied Clark when Lex opened the back door to help Chloe get in.

"Lex!" screamed Chloe.

No sooner had the words left Clark's mouth than a commotion broke out on the pavement in front of the courthouse. Oliver looked at the spot next to him to see Clark gone amidst the shouts and the chaos that erupted when Luthor's bodyguards closed their ranks and, taking their automatics from their holsters, started shooting in the direction of the tall building across the street. Queen cursed the shortcomings of being a human; there was nothing he could do without his equipment. He tried to assess the situation, see if there was anyone down; however, Lex's security men were doing a damn good job blocking the view.

"Lex," cried Chloe, seeing the blood which was beginning to soak his white shirt.

"Get in the limo, Chloe," he told her, pushing her into the bullet-proof vehicle and ordering his chauffeur to drive away.

"God, Lex!" sobbed the blonde reporter, unbuttoning his shirt with shaky fingers.

"Are you OK?" he asked quietly, touching her bloodied blouse.

"I'm fine but," she replied, knowing full well she might have been the one bleeding if it hadn't been for his quick reflexes and the way he had sheltered her with his own body," you..." she added with trembling lips and tear-rimmed eyes while she pressed her fingers against the wound to his right flank.

"Don't cry, Laurie. Daddy'll be fine," he told their daughter, who tried to scramble off her grandmother's lap.

"Take this," said Moira, starting to undo the buttons of her own shirt.

"Mom."

"Just do it, Chlo'. There isn't much in this limo that can be used to stop the haemorrhage," insisted Moira, putting her jacket back on. "Thomas, pull over," she said to the chauffer through the intercom. "My granddaughter and I will travel in the front," she ordered the chauffeur.

"What?" gasped Chloe, looking at her mother oddly and increasing the pressure on Lex's wound.

"Tell Laurie everything will be all right, Chlo`," whispered Moira.

"Everything will be all right, sweetheart," Chloe found herself saying.

"Go with your grandma," added Mrs Sullivan.

"Go with your grandma," said Gabe's only daughter.

"Chlo', sweetheart, I love you," she told her, cupping her cheek gently. "Everything will be all right, " smiled Moira stepping out of the limo and walking around it to sit next to Thomas who, thanks to the glass partition being up, wasn't aware of the state of affairs at the back. "Hi, Thomas. Working for your boss must be quite an adventure."

"Grandma Moira?" sobbed Laurie. "Is daddy going to die?"

"Did any of the projectiles injure Mr Luthor?" asked the chauffeur concerned.

"Nothing serious. Your boss is a very lucky man. Daddy'll be all right, Laurie. It was just a scratch," said Moira calmly, kissing the crown of her head and holding her tight. "Mommy will fix him. You'll see," she murmured.

"Should I drive you to the mansion as planned?"

"Yes. I'm sure Mr Luthor will ask his own physician to make a house call once we get there. We'll all need the peace and quiet of the countryside after today."

"Lex," whimpered Chloe. "Lex, don't.." she said frantically when he suddenly fainted in her arms. "God, Lex," she cried amidst tears, rocking his immobile body and throwing away her mother`s blood-soaked shirt to put direct pressure on the bullet orifices with her own hands. "Don't you dare leave us. Not now," she begged, pressing her lips on his forehead.

And it was amongst tears, sobs and words of love and desperation that a miracle happened in the back seat of the Luthors' limousine.

OLIVER QUEEN'S PENTHOUSE- SIX HOURS LATER

"How dare you two keep me in the dark?" shouted Lois Lane, slamming the lift door and barging into the flat.

"Good evening, Lois," said Oliver, raising his can of beer in salute. "Clark, why don't you fetch her one?"

"I'd better bring another six pack, " mumbled Clark. "It'll be a long evening."

"How come I had to hear the news of the shooting when I turned on the television? You were there for Christ's sake, didn't you think I'd be interested to know what had happened to my own freaking cousin and her family... MY family?" exploded the General's daughter.

"Lois," said Clark, opening the beer and walking towards her.

"Don't you 'Lois' me, Smallville. I have more right than you two to be involved in this."

"Nobody's hurt."

"Chloe hasn't been picking up my calls and Luthor's cell has kept diverting the ones I've made him to his damn voicemail. How was I supposed to know they were OK if neither of you dimwits had the decency to pick up a phone and tell me?" she glared, snatching the can from the farm boy's hand and taking a big gulp. "So, you'd better start speaking. I've been to every hospital and clinic in Metro, even call the damn Morgue. Where the hell are they?"

"They're in Smallville," Oliver butted in.

"Smallville? " she frowned.

"Mom called," explained Clark. "She said she got a call from the mansion asking her to deliver some produce in the morning now that the master and his family are back home."

"Geez, I'm going to throttle cue ball. He promised he'd call as soon as the arraignment was over," she hissed, taking her mobile out of her pocket. "Do you remember the mansion's number, Smallville?"

"He's changed his private number several times. I really wouldn't know."

"Stalkers, right? Never mind. I'll phone your mother," she shook her head, dialling the Kents` phone number. "Hi, Mrs K?" she smiled.

"Lois, would you join us for a pizza? Double cheese?" suggested Oliver.

"Oliver," hissed Clark under his breath.

"Do you happen to have Lex's phone at the mansion, Mrs K? Great!"

"Cheer up, Clark. Let Lex handle her now," smirked Queen. "Lois, we're going out for a pizza. I'm leaving you a spare key. Leave it in the usual place when you show yourself out."

"OK," she said distractedly. "Yes, Mrs K, shoot."

"Come on, Clark."

"What about your equipment, Oliver?" murmured the farm boy as Queen opened the front door.

"We'll have to make a stop at my office on the way. With your speed we can make it to Smallville in no time," smiled the billionaire smugly.

LUTHOR MANSION- SMALLVILLE

Six hours had gone by since they climbed down the steps of the courthouse and he got two bullets from a sniper positioned somewhere in the building across the street, over five hours and a half since he lost consciousness in the limo to wake up in a daze a few minutes later and find Chloe comatose and he without a scathe. Had it not been for Moira's cold head and her finally opening up to him about Chloe's hidden powers, he would have gone mad on the spot. He had to give it to Gabe's widow; she'd manoeuvred the situation in the limo in a fashion worthy of a Luthor.

Having got rid of his bloodied clothes and made Chloe as comfortable as possible to wait for her reawakening, he now looked at the slightly ashen-coloured blonde lying in his four-poster and raised his eyes to meet Moira's across the room.

"You'd better not be playing me or I swear to God, Mrs Sullivan... " he gritted in a moment of desperation, taking Chloe's hand in his and leaning forward to press a kiss on her forehead. "She's cold, damn it! Give me another blanket," she spat at the older woman.

"Here," said Moira, helping him to tuck Chloe in. "Lex," she added calmly, lying a hand on his arm, "we should better step out of the room to talk."

"I'm not leaving her. And I don't care if she hears us talk, maybe it's exactly what she needs to bring her back."

"I thought..."

"She isn't like the others... She needs to know that... " he cut her off.

"I've just put Laurie to bed, Lex. She needs her daddy to tell her everything's fine. Go. Nature's got to follow its course and there's nothing we can do to hasten it. You CAN step out a few minutes, my daughter knows that she's loved and that you will come back," said Moira in a soothing voice.

"Are you trying to use your persuasive skills on me, Mrs Sullivan?" he cocked an eyebrow.

"Are they working?" she asked with a small smile.

"OK. You're right," he sighed. "I'll be back," he murmured close to Chloe's ear as he kissed her cheek and moved towards the door.

Walking quietly into Laura's room, Lex found her curled up in a small tight ball in her new bed and clutching at the teddy bear he had bought for her as a present. He berated himself for having put his own selfish needs first; she was as important to him, as loved as Chloe was, and she was suffering just like him, wondering what was wrong with her mum and if she'd lose yet another person in her young life. Lex remembered all those times when he'd been kept in the dark about Lillian's illness, when he had been either consciously or unconsciously forgotten by his own father, and experienced a sudden clench in his gut. He wanted so much for his little girl to love him and to show her how much she meant to him.

"Laurie, " he murmured, sitting on the edge of her bed and combing her golden hair with his fingers. "Laurie, baby, will you forgive me?" he added in a slightly shaky voice when he saw her teary deep emerald eyes."What do you need?" he asked her when she stretched out an arm and grabbed his clean shirt near his waist.

"I want to look," she sniffled, trying to untuck it out of his trousers.

"OK," he replied calmly, complying with her wishes and pulling up the shirt so she could see and touch.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, touching the already fading bruise just a couple of centimetres away from his spleen, the place where two bullets had pierced his flesh to exit through his back- only there were no traces of any projectiles having hit him.

"Not really," he confessed, covering her small hand with his.

"Grandma says Mommy's sleeping," she went on hesitantly, and he immediately realised she was actually asking him a question.

"Mommy's worn out, Laurie. She's just resting to recover her energy," he replied quietly, trying to give her as much of the truth as she could handle. "Would you like to kiss her goodnight?" he offered in an attempt to reassure her.

"It's OK. She's tired," she answered, taking his word at face value. "Can I kiss her in the morning?"

"Sure, honey," he smiled, revelling in her trust in him."Are you ready for bed now?"

"Can you stay? Lexy Bear's still a bit afraid," she murmured, wiping her eyes.

"Of course I'll stay. We have to make sure he feels safe, right?" he smirked, tucking her in and stretching out next to her."You can both sleep tight now," he said, kissing the girl's brow.

"Night, daddy," she yawned, snuggling down the sheets and closing her eyes.

Lex swallowed the big lump lodged in his throat as he looked at their baby and wondered how many more tests they'd be put through to prove they were finally ready to be together. He resisted the thought that assaulted him whenever he let his guard down, that maybe he would never be worthy enough to have these two women in his life- God couldn't be so cruel as to snatch away from him the one chance to be happy because he'd had the misfortune of having been born a Luthor. Being Laura's father and Chloe's husband, the kind of parent and spouse Lionel had never been, was his last chance to prove everyone and himself that the apple could fall far from the tree.

It was seven o'clock in the evening when Lex left Laurie's room and came across his butler in the corridor.

"Good evening, sir. I was on the way to inform you that Mr Wayne is on the line with some urgent business," said Johnson in a hushed tone.

"Thanks. I'll take the call in my study. Could you prepare something light for me and Mrs Sullivan? Bring two trays to the anteroom in half an hour," he ordered the butler on the way to his den.

"Certainly, sir."

Once in the study he walked to his glass and chrome desk and, taking a deep breath, picked up the receiver.

"Bruce."

"Good evening, Lex. How's everything going?"

"It seems neither God nor the Devil wants me yet," he chuckled. "Chloe's still in shock, but with her mom's and our pampering I'm sure she'll get over it soon. Johnson told me you had some urgent news to share with me."

"Yes, it isn't bad news. I just thought you might want to hear it as soon as possible. I've had lunch with Rache and her boss. They have a very strong case, Lex. Judge Reynolds refused to grant bail at today's arraignment and the DA's office believes the federal trial will start in a month's time. In the meantime, the detainees have been packed off to Gotham's high-security prison."

"I got a call from the Metropolis Commissioner a couple of hours ago. It seems the sniper that shot us today wore a clown costume like the one Chloe saw in Star City when Edge made his first threat. The man's boss is someone you Gotham citizens are very familiar with."

"The Clown Prince of Crime," sighed Bruce, pinching his nose.

"The Joker himself. It seems he's been working for the mobster boss Salvatore Maroni. Maroni and Falcone," explained Lex gravely, knowing the latter was responsible for the deaths of Bruce's parents, "were doing business with Edge and ... yes, my dad. Do you imagine what these guys could have done with the information Argus would have provided them with?"

" I'm so sorry your young family got involved in this, Lex."

"If there's anyone to blame, that'd be my late father. By the way, the Metropolis DA has contacted Dent to inform him about the clown sniper."

"I'll phone Commissioner Gordon to see if they have already managed to arrest the Joker and his gang. For the time being, I suggest keeping a low profile and doubling your security, Lex. This psychopath at large is really dangerous."

"Don't worry, Bruce, I have that covered," he smiled, knowing Boy Scout Clark and his friends would be on the alert making sure nothing happened to Chloe and by extension to her family- including their so-far enemy, Lex Luthor. "Thanks for calling. And keep me posted."

"You're welcome, my friend. Send your girls my regards. I hope to meet them once this ugly affair's over. "

"I'll pass your greetings on. Goodnight, Bruce," finished Lex, hanging up only to get a new incoming call. "Miss Lane," he answered, checking the caller ID.

"I thought your plan was to walk my baby cousin down the aisle, Lex," replied the General's daughter tersely.

"Meaning?" he asked with a poker face.

"For a wedding to happen there must be a bride and a... groom, and I'm seriously considering at least putting you in a cast, Luthor," fumed the brunette.

"I'm sorry, Lois. I know I should have called you sooner. "

"You bet. Damn it, Lex! We aren't exactly bosom buddies but we've been making an effort for Chloe and Laurie's sake. They... and whether I like it or not... _you _are my family and I..." she stuttered.

"I get what you mean, Lois. There's no need to include me in that 'I love you' you couldn't utter, at least not yet," he chuckled.

"That'll be the day," snorted Lois.

"Oh, you never know! You should know better than to underestimate my charms, Lane," said Lex smugly.

"I prefer more rural charms."

"Is that a confession, Lois? " he cocked an eyebrow. "I thought you said we were seeing things that weren't there."

"I was talking generically, Luthor, You seem to forget I used to have a billionaire boyfriend."

"Are you comparing me to Queen?"

"Oh, you're all the same! Trying to prove who's more macho and behaving like boys with expensive toys."

"You might have gone out with him, but you don't know him the way I do. It's not all gold that glitters, Lois."

"Nobody better than you to talk about appearances being deceptive. Oliver can be a pompous ass, I can give you that, but you're also some piece of work, Lex. Still, I'm getting to know another side to you and I must confess... grudgingly, mind you, that I might come to ..."

"Like me?"

"Tolerate you. Let's not exaggerate," she huffed. "So how's Chlo'? Can I talk to her?"

"She's in bed, Lois. It's been a very long and trying day for all of us."

"I can't imagine what she must have gone through today after everything that's happened to her recently..."

"You have no idea," murmured Lex, wondering what Lois' reaction would have been if she had got her way and accompanied them to court.

"How's Brainy?"

"Lois, my daughter happens to have a name."

"It's a term of endearment, Luthor. Jeez, aren't we touchy! I love the girl, so don't aim your gun at me."

"I just don't want you to refer to her as if she were some kind of freak. The fact that her IQ is higher than that of other children her age makes..."

"... your daddy's heart burst. I know, I know. So... how is she?"

"A bit scared. She's asleep now."

"Poor baby... And Aunt Moira?"

"She's been very ... motherly..."

"You're surprised, aren't you? After the way she abandoned her and Gabe. You know, I always knew she hadn't wanted to leave."

"After talking to her these last few days I'm starting to think the same."

"Who would have thought it possible? You and I thinking the same thoughts," laughed Lois.

"Now that would be really scary. Lois, as entertaining as this little chat's been I still have to eat and your Aunt Moira must be waiting for me to start."

"My stomach's making some very funny noises, too."

"Too much information, Lane."

"Goodnight, Luthor. I'll call in the morning."

"Goodnight, Lois," he smiled and hung up. "Well, that went quite well," he said in a low voice, getting up from his swivel chair to head to the master bedroom, where he'd await Chloe's awakening and what he was sure would be a very challenging session of verbal judo.


	21. Resurrection

**CHAPTER 21:** Resurrection

OUTSIDE THE GROUNDS OF THE LUTHOR ESTATE- SMALLVILLE

It was close to nine in the evening but the full moon was illuminating the fields like a giant lantern, a fact which made Clark and Oliver's stakeout decisively uncomfortable because they had had to rely more on the characteristics of the terrain than their camouflage- and that meant having to lie on the muddy ground which was the only area hidden from the road. Oliver had convinced the farm boy to do without his trademark red jacket, which would have given them away since it stood out like a beacon, and was now enjoying the Kryptonian's discomfiture.

"More pizza?" asked the Archer, eying the only piece left in the cardboard box.

"No, thanks. I don't know how you can eat so much of that stuff now that it's cold," grimaced Clark.

"Well, one gets used to it. This is what a stakeout is like when you're a regular guy trying to do something extraordinary. Not much to do except wait and drink weak coffee while eating a sandwich or something one can stash away," Oliver explained, cleaning the tomato sauce off his fingers. "Too pedestrian for you, Clark?"

"I just think it's silly to be waiting here when we could be closer," fumed the farm boy.

"I know you could have slipped through the wrought-iron gates unnoticed but that would have left me outside because there's no way in hell I would let myself be caught by Luthor men again. We're here to watch Chloe's back and her daughter's, and I'm doing this for Lois."

Clark felt the sudden urge to ask Oliver if there was still something there. Although Lois seemed to have put their affair behind, he had the impression Queen might want to rekindle the fire. The Kryptonian had to remind himself they weren't deep in the mud to discuss their love lives and that their objective was to watch out for some whackos who wanted to punish Lex for helping break up the biggest crime syndicate in America- that meant not only the billionaire's skin was at stake but that of Chloe and their innocent child's.

"Why don't you use your super vision to check out Chloe's still in one piece? Somehow I don't think our follicle-challenged nemesis will put a finger on her- even I can't deny the guy's besotted- but I can also tell you're dying to leave my sorry ass freeze here while you break in to make sure," sighed the Green Arrow.

"We're here to protect their lives not to spy on them," stated Clark grimly.

"Is that you speaking or is that something your parents would have said?" smirked the older man. "Could it be you're afraid of what you'll see? That the woman in there is no longer the girl you once knew and that she wants to be with him? Did she know?"

"What are you hinting at?" frowned Clark.

"Did she know your secret? I know you never shared it with Lana. Chloe sounds like a different kind of girl and, if she's anything like Lois..."

"She's never been as obnoxious as Lois," he interrupted Oliver.

"I meant curious, Clark. Do you think she _knows_? Are you afraid she might tell him something?"

"You said he already knew."

"I said he knew I was the Green Arrow and that he suspected you were special. I have a hunch he even knows something about your weakness. Still, I'm sure he'd love to have his suspicions corroborated- and what better way than to get the truth from the person he trusts and loves most in the world."

"She'd never betray me," murmured Clark.

"I got the impression you weren't on the best of terms before she left town."

"Don't you think I know she might not be there if I had handled things differently? What do you suggest I do? That I barge in and kidnap her and their girl? One moment you try to stop me and the next you talk as if you wanted me to take her and the kid away." glared Clark.

"I'm playing Devil's Advocate, that's all."

"I think there's something more than that. I don't know what happened between you and Lex before I met you, Oliver, but I'm not planning to put Chloe and her baby in danger just so you can have your revenge. You'll have to think of another way. You're a businessman; play your battles with Lex in that arena. I have had my differences with him and our relationship's suffered a great deal because of some of his decisions," he spat, "and some of mine as well," he added grudgingly. "However, I won't let you bring more misery upon Chloe, Oliver. She doesn't deserve it and God only knows what he'd do if she were snatched away from his side. There's so much hurt a man can take and you know the kind of life he had with Lionel, Oliver. Lex is a sleeping tiger we should try never to rouse."

"Does this mean we'll forget about 33.1 and all those secret projects he's been working on?" asked Oliver grimly.

"We'll have to find out where he's got that incriminating evidence that could send you to jail first and start thinking of alternative courses of action. I'm afraid sabotage through direct action is no longer an option now that he knows what to expect and what my vulnerability is. Let's give him a truce until this is over- I owe him as much for having sent you to cover my back and Lana's. We'll see if this changed-man attitude is an act or if Chloe's managed what we thought impossible these last few years. Now... tell me about that flying rat..."

INSIDE THE LUTHOR MANSION

Lex signed the last document on the rather thick pile he'd brought to the anteroom and then put down his Montblanc to stretch out a little and massage the coiled muscles of his neck and back. He took a sip of the now lukewarm coffee Moira had brought from the kitchen and he eyed his future mother-in-law as she dozed off in the armchair next to the four-poster. Had he not seen the love the older woman felt for his daughter in the way she behaved around Chloe, he wouldn't have believed or trusted her to such an extent. This passivity of his was so unlike him that he wondered if his own freak nature hadn't rendered him susceptible to Moira's powers of persuasion.

He left the dossiers on the coffee table and got up from the armchair determined to make the call he'd been putting off; he couldn't risk losing Chloe now that destiny had brought them together again. In the back of his mind there was another argument he'd put forward not to phone one of his 33.1 doctors to check Chloe over as soon as they'd arrived at the mansion; he resisted having anyone treat her as if she were a phenomenon. Lately, he had been questioning a lot of his past decisions concerning the biggest and most ambitious of his projects, and the unexpected revelation of Chloe's own powers had brought everything closer to home. He'd have to make a decision soon concerning the future of 33.1 and its branches- the ones which had survived the infiltration performed by Queen and his gang.

"Mm," moaned a nauseous Chloe, trying to sit up on the four-poster and falling back on the mattress.

"Chloe!" reacted Lex, rushing to the bed, relief patent in his voice.

"God, I feel as if I had fought twenty-five rounds and got pummelled by the other guy," she mumbled. "Lex," she added in a raspy voice, stretching out an arm to touch the left side of his abdomen," is it really you?"

"Yes. Lie back, Chloe," he replied softly, brushing off a couple of stray hairs and pushing her gently to lie on her back once again.

"There was... so much... blood," she choked, feeling her eyes turn watery."Are you sure... I'm not dreaming? How...? " she babbled confused.

"I'm alive and well. You can see it by yourself," he replied with a soft smile, leaning down to brush her lips with his. "Pinch me if you want," he offered when she started to untuck his shirt in much the same way Laurie had done before her.

"Shouldn't _I_ be the one pinching herself?" she quipped. "How can this be possible? I... You had two bullet wounds... I tried to stop the haemorrhage with my own hands... I felt... You were bleeding to death..."

"Chloe!" interrupted Moira, leaving her armchair to sit down on the side of the bed opposite Lex. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Mom? I don't know. I... It wasn't a dream, was it?" she stammered with a speculative look in her eyes. "You _were_ shot, weren't you?" she asked Lex, frowning her brow.

"Yes, I was shot," he confessed, swallowing the lump in his throat."Chloe," he murmured, taking her shaking hands in his when she looked at them with haunted eyes.

"What am I? This is the reason... you left, isn't it? Because I'm... a freak," she choked, turning to Moira with trembling lips.

"No, Chloe, that isn't true," her mother shook her head.

"You aren't a freak, Chloe," replied Lex passionately, cupping her face. "You're a miracle."

"Am I?" she sobbed, letting him wrap her in his arms."All that blood in my hands... " they heard her say, her quivering voice muffled by his shirt as she clung to him still feeling the need to ascertain he was really alive. "This wasn't the first time, was it? " she sobered, shooting a questioning glance at Moira. "I never hurt my hands playing kickball."

"No," said her mother faintly.

Lex saw Moira fidget under her daughter's gaze and then met the older woman's eyes when she looked at him as if she were asking him for help.

"What? " asked Chloe nervously, observing the silent exchange. "Lex?" she frowned, lifting her head off his shoulder to bore her expressive deep emerald eyes into him.

"Chloe," he said quietly, grabbing her gently and then moving his hands up and down her arms in a gesture meant to soothe her.

"You _knew_?" she told him with a catch in her voice. "How long?" she added grimly, squirming to free herself from his hands.

"You weren't meant to find out this way," he explained calmly.

"How long, Lex?" she repeated, crossing her arms in front of her chest."Please, tell me you haven't been hiding this from me all the while," she croaked, remembering the conversation they'd had soon before they made love in the penthouse for the first time. It had been such a special night and she had felt so cherished, trusted him with so many of her fears that she wished he hadn't betrayed her that way. If he had had the answers she`d been looking for and he'd let her torture herself with the thought that maybe she was going mad, she would never be able to forgive him.

"Since the day your mother woke up," he replied gravely, seeing her release the breath she'd been holding.

"You lied to me, Lex," she murmured, biting her lower lip to prevent it from trembling so much. "Both of you lied to me. "

"We thought it was for the best at the time, sweetheart," Moira butted in.

"Please, leave..." whispered Chloe in a raspy voice, grabbing the bedclothes to cover up her suddenly cold body.

"Chloe..." began Lex, feeling a desperate need to have her reassure him this wouldn't become a new roadblock getting on the way of their happiness, that he hadn't ruined everything by trying to protect her from the truth.

"Please, Lex, just leave."

"Let me explain," he continued, trying to resist her entreaty.

"Don't. Not now. I... just can't talk about this now," she told him, sliding down the covers and fighting the urge to fling herself into his arms and hear him say everything would be all right, that she was the same girl he'd fallen in love with and that her wielding this God-like power was nothing to be afraid of. The urge got stronger when his hand hovered over her head. She closed her eyes tight willing him not to stroke her hair or lean forward to press a kiss on her face before leaving the room. She wasn't a clinging, fragile damsel-in-distress; she'd never been one. She'd come to him for help once, but she'd always been his equal and she wanted to reclaim that. She was no longer Karen Fairchild. She was Chloe Sullivan and it was high time she licked her wounds and face her demons on her own to come to him whole. Only then would she be able to hear him out and make herself be heard.

LEX'S STUDY- EARLY MORNING

It'd been a long sleepless night, which Lex chose to spend in the loneliness of his den with a bottle of his best bourbon and a stack of LuthorCorp dossiers that ended up untouched. The sun had risen a couple of hours ago and he was still wearing last night clothes, which were rather rumpled after slouching back in his favourite leather armchair wondering when Chloe would speak to him again and what she would say. He couldn't remember feeling so impotent since the day he got the phone call informing him of Chloe and Gabe's deaths, and he hated that feeling; he'd never been able to accept not having the control of a situation and control was something he'd never willingly given up before Chloe and only on occasion.

The struggle to keep the balance of power in their relationship had always been one of the most energising aspects of their coming together. However, these past weeks he'd relinquished his control to make her feel safe and allow her to set the pace of their rebuilding relationship. He'd only taken the control from her once in the last days and it had been without her knowledge. They'd been living in a kind of limbo and Lex was more than aware it'd come to an end the moment she sent him away the previous night. The old Chloe Sullivan- the one he'd fallen in love with- was almost ready to resurface at last; he could feel it because he knew her only too well and he couldn't wait for it to happen.

Lex got up from his swivel chair, grabbed a bottle of Tŷ Nant from the wet bar, uncapped it and took a big gulp of cold water to clean the after taste of bourbon in his mouth. He'd ask his butler to have the decanters taken away and the bar replenished with non-alcoholic beverages and fresh fruit juice. Drinking had always been a means to numb whatever was corroding his spirit, an attempt to fill the void his life had become; however, he no longer wanted to hide behind a bottle. Luthors were fighters and he'd never been one to step down from a challenge, least of all when it was something he considered worth the effort and the anguish- and what he had with Chloe was more than worth it. For the first time in years he felt he had a chance at happiness, and he wasn't going to sabotage it by trying to asphyxiate or manipulate Chloe the way his own father had done with Lillian.

Fresh from the shower and feeling more revived after having a mug of strong black coffee while finishing his ablutions, the young billionaire left the bathroom adjoining his study and climbed up the stairs to head to the nursery. On opening the door he found Laura was no longer in bed so he decided now was as good a moment as any to knock at Chloe's. Getting no answer and hearing no sound coming from the room where he expected to find their small sprite kissing her mummy good morning and cuddling in bed, he turned the doorknob with a quickened pulse to find no one inside.

"Are you looking for Chlo' and Laurie?" Moira's voice surprised him. "They're not in the house."

Lex had been expecting something momentous to happen that morning; however, he'd never expected for Chloe to leave and take their daughter with her without even a goodbye. He knew she was in shock and that she resented his not sharing with her what he'd found out about her condition sooner, and yet he'd thought she'd stand up to him and not run away.

"It's not what you're thinking, Lex," continued Chloe's mother softly, noticing the coiled tension which had suddenly seized the young man. "Laurie came to the room to wake her up, and your cook fixed them something to have breakfast on the grounds."

"They shouldn't have left the house," he stated, unclenching his fists a little as the realisation that they hadn't deserted him started to sink in."It isn't safe yet."

"So I told her when I came down, but it appears she knows something we don't."

LUTHOR MANSION GARDENS

Lex opened a lateral door and walked around the mansion to the gardens at the back. The girls weren't picnicking on the lawn or sitting in the cosy furniture set he very rarely used, and it wasn't until he heard Chloe's musical laughter that he located them somewhere beyond the labyrinth. His body relaxed yet a little more; they were safe and sound and the security of the mansion hadn't been breached by the Joker and his clowns.

Following the sound of Chloe's voice he arrived at the bench where his father used to sit with Martha Kent during his blind spell. Ironically, the very same woman who'd graced the spot with her presence to keep company to the man who'd almost destroyed him was now chatting animatedly with the blonde whose love had helped reshape the young billionaire's world. Martha was the only older female other than Lillian and Pamela who had treated him and loved him like a son; she was the parent he had never had in Lionel and the mother he'd lost when he was twelve. Mrs Kent was definitely someone he'd miss having in his life. Seeing her bond with the two most important people to him was an extra source of happiness, especially when his own mother would never get to be at his wedding with Chloe or see her own grandchild grow up.

The first one to notice his appearance was Laura, who scrambled to her small feet and ran to his encounter talking excitedly about the Kent farm and all the animals they had there from cows to chicken, from horses to ducks and- most importantly- a dog. Did he have a dog growing up? Was there a dog on his property? Could she have a dog if she was a good girl? Lex had never seen Laurie so excited and couldn't help but smile at his daughter's rosy cheeks and bright green eyes.

"Good morning, Lex," chuckled Mrs Kent.

"Senator," he replied warmly, coming closer to them after telling Laura they'd have to talk it over with her mum.

"Martha, Lex," she corrected him, standing up to give him a kiss on the cheek and a short hug. He still found it hard to have people be this tactile around him; he'd never let anyone invade his personal space after Lillian's death and no one had ever loved him enough to break down the walls he had erected around him till this red-haired mother and the two women who were back in his life. "There's no need to stand on ceremony, honey," she said quietly and he closed his eyes briefly savouring the faint perfume of lilacs that reminded him of his own mother.

"OK. Martha," he smiled faintly, meeting Chloe's suspiciously bright eyes before she picked up Laurie and sat the girl on her lap.

"I'm so happy to see you three in one piece," Martha told him with sincere relief in her voice, looking at the young family and noticing the enigmatic glances exchanged between the couple.

"Luthors have always been survivors," stated Chloe, holding Lex's gaze.

"You sure have a powerful guardian angel," Martha cocked an eyebrow.

"Maybe _more_ than one," he murmured.

"Considering all the times you've survived after being attacked or fighting for your life, you must be right," she smiled, noticing the way he'd suddenly slipped his hands into the pockets of his trousers- a defensive gesture of his she recognised very well. Sensing some strange urgency crackle in the air between the young couple, she decided it was time to leave. "Oh! Look at what time it is! I should better be going. I still have a couple of orders to deliver," she exclaimed, checking out her wristwatch. "Laurie, how about showing me the way to the kitchen? I have to pick up the empty crates, and maybe we can have Cook cut you a piece of that chocolate pie I brought as a house-warming present?"

"With cream?" asked the wide-eyed girl, looking at her mother, and already feeling her mouth water.

"Go," acquiesced Chloe with a sigh.

"Love you, Mommy!" shouted Laurie on Chloe's lap, hugging her and kissing her on the cheek.

"Wow! All this hugging and kissing since you came to wake me up! Are you sure you didn't know about this pie when you dragged me out of bed?" laughed Chloe, pinching the girl's nose.

"No," she frowned.

"OK. Go with Martha," the blonde reporter patted their daughter on the rear.

"Have a small piece, Laurie, or there won't be your favourite ice-cream for dessert at lunch," spoke out Lex as she sprinted away with Clark's mum.

"Mrs Kent's a very wise and perceptive woman," stated Chloe, turning around on the bench to fix Lex with her deep emerald eyes. "You shouldn't have lied to me, Lex."

"I did it only to protect you, Chloe. You were very vulnerable; you didn't need to have a burden of this kind on your shoulders then."

"I'm not doubting your intentions, Lex. And believe me, I wouldn't like to have this power changed for another if it'd meant seeing you die in that limo, but I'm still mad at you and Mom. You both knew I'd been trying to put the pieces of my life together, to discover who I was," she replied gravely. "And this," she added stretching out her hands in front of her," is a very big portion of whom I am."

"You weren't meant to find it out the way you did."

"Then when? "

"I hadn't thought that far."

"We've always treated each other as equals so don't you dare be condescending, Lex. I know you better than that. Were you even going to tell me? "

"I honestly don't know... "

"Even though you knew I was having nightmares every night?"

"I knew your bad dreams were connected with your Mom and when I found out the real reason for her leaving you and Gabe... that she'd never been insane... I knew I could help you get some peace of mind and I did something about it."

"But you both kept a tiny detail out from your account..."

"I've seen what knowing can do to people, Chloe. I didn't want you to go through that."

"Am I the only one? Is there anyone like me in your collection at 33.1?" she asked grimly.

"No," he replied curtly."You're the first one I know of whose powers are meant to heal not to hurt."

"What was your first thought when you learned about my power and my Mum's? " she asked, observing him closely. "And don't lie to me this time."

"What is it that you want me to confess? I'd never let any harm come to you or Laurie, Chloe. I love you."

"You're not answering my question. Did you think of having your scientists probe us?"

"33.1 is meant to help those affected by the meteor rocks to learn to live with their powers and become useful members of our society."

"That's not what I asked. I want to hear you say it, Lex."

"Say what?" he exploded.

"You don't have to hide from me. We've never been able to resist digging for answers, trying to explain the bizarre and find the why of things. I just want you to admit what I already know."

"What good would that do? I would have never done it."

"But for a moment you thought about it. Your saying it won't stop me from loving you, Lex. Is that what you're worried about? That I'd get scared and run away."

" I just need to know this hasn't ruined what we've been rebuilding."

"It's changed things. I'm no longer the same woman you made love to the night we came back from the hospital. I know who I am at last and I want you to stop pretending you're someone other than yourself. That might have worked with Lana but that's not who you are."

"Do you expect me to confess I've always been my father's son and that this leafy hamlet's never been wrong about me?" he glared, clenching his jaws

"Now you're been deliberately obtuse. You'll never be your father."

"How do you know? I've been fighting against it for years, Chloe, but the darkness is there waiting to unleash itself."

"Was this why you didn't want to tell me about my power? Were you afraid I might torture myself just like you with the thought of when it would stop being dormant and what would happen if it were unleashed?"

"Maybe. Yes," he conceded grudgingly.

"Well, let me tell you something, Lex, you forgot a very important variable- us. We've got each other and Laurie and not just that, there's people who care and won't let us walk down that path- Lois... don't frown!... my Mom... Mrs Kent... Even if something horrible were to happen... Yes, Lex, you can't control everything that goes on around the world no matter how intelligent and resourceful you are..."

"I might not be able to control the whole world out there, but a little collaboration from the players involved would help minimise the risks of something horrible ever happening. You weren't supposed to leave the house," he told her smoothly.

"We weren't supposed to leave the property. We're in the gardens, aren't we?" she replied, making an encompassing gesture with her arms.

"This isn't time for semantics."

"But I'm all for semantics, Lex. I'm a writer and I seem to remember you yourself have always been very careful in your choice of words out of your vast and impressive lexicon."

"Well, it appears long exposure to Chloe Sullivan has short-circuited that skill of mine. The Joker and his merry clowns could turn up when we least expect them, and being out in the open as if we were sitting ducks..."

"Haven't you strengthened your security at the mansion after all those concussions and break-ins?" she cut him off with a mischievous grin.

"This is no time for jokes, Chloe. We should get inside."

"I like it here. And, by the way, our clownish friend and his gang aren't coming. They're under lock and key in Gotham."

"What?"

"Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you! Bruce called. I told him you were in the shower and asked him to give me the news. We talked a little. He's a fascinating, guy. I'm thinking about visiting his old castle once this trial is over..."

"Stop talking about Bruce and tell me more about the Joker and Intergang."

"Jealous, Lex?"

"Of Bruce? He's not your type," he snapped.

"I don't know. Let's see: young, handsome, brooding, a billionaire, owns a large corporation, loves fast cars... Should I continue?" she chuckled.

"He's got hair and I haven't."

"An insignificant detail. "

"Bald men are sexier."

"Says who?"

"I remember someone whispering that in my ear in the throes of passion a few nights ago," he murmured throatily, coming closer to her.

"Don't you believe everything a woman tells you when she's desperate to be brought to completion."

"When were you going to tell me he'd called?"

"Eventually," she smiled.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked, stopping in front of her.

"You'll have to work hard for my forgiveness."

"I'm very diligent. I can think of very pleasurable ways to earn it, ways that will satisfy us both," he smirked, brushing his lips against the column of her neck.

"It sounds good," she moaned as he kissed a very special spot behind her ear.

"Thought so," he whispered in her ear.

"I'm still mad at you."

"I know," he replied, locking his mouth with hers in a brief and soft kiss.

"Your prowess in bed won't get you off the hook. I want to have access to 33.1, Lex."

Her final words didn't take him by surprise. He knew her well enough to expect her to come back to the issue she had briefly touched on the first night she sought refuge at the penthouse. They'd chosen not to discuss LuthorCorp's most hush-hush and questionable project because there were bigger problems to deal with at the time. Now that a solution for those urgent issues was well under way, they would have to discuss things out in the open.

Had she requested this a few weeks ago his answer would have been another. However, the recent developments had made him reevaluate the project which had absorbed most of his energy in the past four years. Chloe and a limousine ride had succeeded where Queen and his band of terrorists in costumes had failed; he was now convinced it was high time to reformulate 33.1.

"Let's get inside. I have a proposal for you," he replied in a businesslike voice, resting his hand on her lower back.

"Indecent?" she cocked an eyebrow.

"I think you'll like it, and I'm being serious now," he told her as they walked along the lawn towards the mansion.

"Does that mean you weren't talking seriously when you promised to make a very satisfied woman out of me?" she quipped.

"Far from it. I'm determined to render you the happiest and most sated woman on earth," he whispered huskily, bringing her closer to him.

"I'm starting to think Lois was right. I should be more careful of what I say in the throes of passion. I'm afraid your head's actually got as big as the Sharks Stadium already."

"What can I say? I've always been an overachiever."

"We'll talk about that tonight," she nudged him."Now it's time to get serious."

"But I _was_ serious."

"If you think you can distract me with your seduction techniques and make me forget about this 'proposal' you mentioned when I uttered the words 33.1, you can think again, pal. "

"You've always been a hard nut to crack, Chloe Sullivan."

"Look who's talking."

"I thought that was one of my main allures," he smirked, holding the door open for her to step in.

"You're anything but boring, Lex. Now, let me check up on our little strategist in the kitchen to see if she hasn't guilt-tripped Cook and his staff so that she can have a bigger portion of that scrumptious chocolate pie. In the meantime, you can start collecting your pen drives, dossiers and whatever you have. I'll get back to you to discuss your proposal and let you know my conditions in ten minutes."

"I was under the impression I was the master in this house," he frowned, slipping his hands in the pocket of his black trousers.

"The old Chloe Sullivan's back, Lex. You should better get used to that idea. There's no master or subject in this relationship- we're partners and we're equal," she stated categorically before turning around and leaving him standing at the double doors of his den.

Lex watched her walk purposefully along the corridor which led to the service aisle, and he couldn't help but smile softly at the way she held her back straight and her chin high. Yes, his witty, snarky and playful verbal judo partner of the past was back.


	22. Woman Power

**CHAPTER 22:** Woman Power

LAURA'S ROOM- LUTHOR MANSION

Recently bathed and fed, after an afternoon spent roaming the rooms of the mansion, discovering new treasures and playing peek-a-boo with the youngest maid on Lex's staff, sleepy Laura was ready for bed.

"Mommy?" she asked once Chloe had finished reading her a story.

"Yes, sweetie?" replied Chloe, closing the book and setting it down on the night table.

"Is this our home now?"

"Do you like it here?"she said quietly, combing the girl's blonde hair with her fingers.

"Mm," she nodded. "Can we stay?"

"We should ask Daddy," smiled Chloe.

"What should I be asked?" Lex butted in, leaning against the doorjamb.

"Our daughter wants to know if we could make the Mansion our permanent home?"

"Do you like it that much?" Lex asked Laurie, walking into the room and taking a seat next to the bed.

"Yes, it's fun!" she exclaimed with a luminous smile.

Lex had never thought of the castle as a particularly engaging place, especially because he had tendency to identify it with his late father. Its walls had bore witness to both business and family secrets, many of them painful. In fact, if it hadn't been for the sentimental value he attached to his den and the master bedroom- where he'd spent most of his time with Chloe- and the rose garden Lillian had designed herself, he'd have sold it long ago. Maybe having a child run, play and laugh on the premises was the way to exorcise Lionel's ghost out of the castle once and for all.

"And what do _you_ think of moving in permanently?" Lex cocked an eyebrow, turning his head to look at Chloe.

"Well, the place has its allures. I guess I could be talked into settling down here. There's an impressive library to do research for my novels, almost forty rooms to choose from as the headquarters for my new endeavour and... " she smiled softly, shooting Lex a glance which left very little doubt as to what -or rather who exactly- she found attractive in the castle.

"And?" he smirked.

"The Master of the house isn't all that bad," she told him playfully.

"Is that so?" he retorted with a gleam in his eye.

"Are we staying then?" Laurie butted in, observing her parents' exchange with joyful eyes.

"If that's what you two want, it might be arranged," he replied warmly.

"OK, baby, time to say goodnight or you'll be sleepy for tomorrow's visit to the farm. Remember you promised Martha we'll be there to taste her famous Kent breakfast," Chloe tickled her before tucking her in.

"Night," murmured the girl as her mum and then Lex kissed her goodnight, turned the lamp off and left the door to the nursery ajar.

CLARK'S FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE- KENT FARM

The stakeout outside Luthor Mansion being over after receiving a call from the Batman himself announcing them the Joker and his gang had been apprehended, Clark and Oliver went back to the farm to shower and change. Martha arrived soon afterwards and pampered them with her homemade cooking and her motherly affection.

Sitting on the floor of the barn loft making a small blue rubber ball bounce on the scrubbed wooden floors, Clark smiled at the memories of the afternoon spent with Martha and Oliver. Coming back once a month or every couple of months reminded him of what it was that he'd always found so appealing about Smallville and the farm; it was the place where he felt he belonged, the one place in the world where he felt loved despite his being different. It was home; it was a concept alien to Lex until his Kansas exile and the Kents.

Thinking back to the times when Jonathan was still alive Clark replayed several scenes in his mind. Lex and he were friends then. He hated to admit this because it hurt and he felt as if he were betraying his Dad just thinking about it. However, it was a thought that had been nagging at him all day long. Might things have turned out differently if Jonathan hadn't been so adamant about protecting his secret and so vitriolic towards Lex just because he bore the Luthor surname?

Having spied on Lex with Chloe and their child today, Clark was reminded of the friend he had made all those years ago. And yet, there was something different about him, something that had struck a chord in the farm boy, Lex belonged for the first time in his life. It had only taken Clark a few seconds to see and hear enough to know the young tycoon finally had a family and a home he could call his own. This revelation had led Jonathan's adoptive son to think that maybe he'd been deluding himself all these years believing Lex had stabbed them in the back. The young billionaire had remained an outsider in spite of the efforts he'd made to belong because, in truth, although they'd left the doors of the Kent _farm_ ajar, they'd never really opened the doors of their _home_ to him.

Witnessing the scene between the young family and his own mother from afar, Clark experienced a sudden bout of guilt. He'd been so lost in his own world, so self-absorbed and worried about his own heritage and his secret that he'd abandoned two people he used to call his best friends. True, he'd tried to save Lex from Lionel and then from Gardner and Summerholt, but he'd fallen prey to his own fears and his parents'. He'd refused to listen to Lex when his older friend had tried to explain the locked room in the castle to him; the farm boy could still hear the words resonate in his ears.

"_Before you jump to conclusions, Clark…" _

" _You told me you stopped investigating me." _

"_I did." _

"_You did? Then what is this?" _

"_I understand how you can think all this is about you. But, in fact, it's about me. "_

"_More lies." _

"_There's so much of my own life I can't explain. I've survived countless brushes with death, and it all started with this car crash. If I'm guilty of anything, it's that I've inherited my father's eccentric curiosity for the unexplained." _

"_You've inherited his dishonesty." _

What if Lex had been telling the truth then? The billionaire's behaviour in the last few years showed he could be as good as the old bastard at twisting the truth or lying, yet… he'd been right about something- there was a lot of the unexplained in his life. For someone who'd had been branded at birth just because his father was a Luthor, he'd been blessed with miracles from high above too many times in his young life not to become obsessed with finding answers. Maybe he'd been looking for them to explain his own nature and not just to explain Clark's after all.

Clark had tried not to indulge his own curiosity. Although he'd tried to curve his urge lest he found out something that forced him to go against his own late father, he was also afraid of discovering more grounds to support Jonathan's belief that Lex'd only been interested in uncovering his secret with the idea of exploiting him in some way. However, Clark's curiosity had proven too strong and he'd finally given in. He'd chosen to continue listening to Chloe and Lex once Martha had left the gardens with Laurie, and what he heard was something he hadn't been prepared for. Chloe was meteor-infected and Lex had been miraculously saved yet again.

Was Chloe the answer Lex had been waiting for all these years? Had he been saved time and time again for this one moment to arrive? To find love and a home at last? Clark wanted to believe it was so. He hoped all the bitterness and suffering they'd all been put through hadn't been in vain. He wished it for everyone's sake.

LEX'S MASTER BEDROOM- LUTHOR MANSION

"Will you be coming with us?" asked Chloe in a raspy voice once they were in the privacy of the bedroom where Laura had been conceived almost three years ago.

"I was planning to do just that with you tonight," quipped Lex as his arms, which were wrapped around her body from behind, tightened their hold on her and his mouth brushed her neck.

"Is there a word for male nymphomania I wonder?" she tried to slap his hands away without much success.

"Satyriasis," he murmured, kissing her behind her ear.

"Smartass. That tickles," she wriggled in the circle of his arms.

"I remember my vast lexicon used to be an aphrodisiac when we worked on the Daily Planet crossword puzzles together. And for the record, I don't suffer from satyriasis."

"Well, let's say your thoughts have become of the one-track sort lately," she chuckled.

"I don't remember hearing any complaints," he smiled, tugging at her bottom lip.

"Nobody said I was compl…" she moaned when he sealed her mouth with a knee-weakening kiss.

"You were saying?" he smirked a minute afterwards.

"You're impossibly smug. So… are you going to answer my question?"

"I thought I had."

"No, you just started with your damn innuendo remarks."

"I can't help it if you look so adorable in this new green outfit," he said huskily, starting to untie the sash.

"Lex," she stopped him, putting her hand over his. "A simple yes or no will do. And you know what my question referred to."

"I won't. I don't want your first meeting to be awkward," he replied, turning serious all of a sudden.

"It doesn't have to be that way."

"A lot has happened since you went away, Chloe. He was your friend and..."

"Yours too," she interrupted him.

"A lifetime ago. You've known him longer than I. You were joined at the hip and no matter what happened that year between you two, I know he truly cares about you. "

"But…"

"As much as I would love to keep you forever in my dungeon..."

"... of iniquity..."

"I'm trying to be serious here."

"So am I. Go on, Lex."

"There are other people out there who care about you. And, like it or not, Clark is one of them. You had a life and friends before we met."

"You're trying to be the bigger man, aren't you? Are you sure you don't mind that we visit the Kents tomorrow?"

"I trust what we have is strong enough to resist whatever arguments he might use to convince you that me... us... is a bad idea. "

"I'm not fickle like a certain brunette we both know."

"I know. Why do you think I'm fighting my nature this one time?"

"Laurie would love for you to come along. This visit to the farm is all she's been talking about today. I'm sure Martha would like it too."

"Laurie? Martha? Or is it you we're talking about? I never thought Chloe Sullivan would be afraid of a farm boy."

"I'm not," she glared.

"I love it when you get all irate. It makes your green eyes shine brighter," he said huskily as he finished untying her sash.

"So... will you be coming?" she insisted, untucking his light blue dress shirt.

"I'm working on that," he murmured smugly, unfastening the front clasp of her bra.

"You'll have to work hard for it," she told him, undoing the last couple of buttons of his shirt.

"I'm a very dedicated and thorough lover," he said in a gravelly voice, bringing her half-naked body closer to him.

"And I'm a very demanding one," she replied, pushing him gently onto the cold burgundy satin sheets which were awaiting them.

"There's nothing I like better than a challenge," he smirked, pulling her on top of him and rolling them over the bed.

"Are you leaving these on?" she asked him with a glint in her eyes as she went for the zip of his trousers.

"Who`s impatient now?" he nuzzled her neck, eliciting a soft moan from her. "Ouch!" he grimaced when her hands grabbed his right side to lever her body up.

"I'm sorry," she said, biting her lower lip and touching the fainting bruise with gentle fingers. "Does it still hurt?"

"It's a little tender yet, but I'll survive. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you," he confessed in a raspy voice, cupping her cheek and holding her eyes with a look full of emotion before leaning forward to capture her lips in a tortuously slow and sensual kiss.

Chloe closed her eyes and savoured the way he laid gentle claim of her mouth, running his tongue along the seam of her lips inviting her to open for him and tasting her sigh as they parted. He was worshipping her once again with his hands and his mouth in much the same way he'd done their first time together at the penthouse. Gone was the playful banter of a few minutes ago and she felt suddenly overwhelmed by what it meant to wield so much power in her hands- the power to tear down the walls Lex had erected around his heart and to yield him so vulnerable to hurt, and the God-like power to make life and death decisions which could alter the course of more than just their personal microcosm.

He moved with the fluid grace of a feline, taking off the trousers she had unzipped and holding her now open eyes with a smouldering look which filled her with quivering desire and urged her to do something before he could take complete control of the situation again.

Lex felt her sleek legs brace his thighs as she surprised him rolling them over and sitting astride him. He was lost the moment she pressed against him and her hand splayed over his yellowish bruise once again.

"Chloe," he said in a strained voice, covering her hand with his and fighting to keep the tenuous control he still had as she tortured him with the teasing movements of her swaying hips.

"This morning you promised to render me the happiest and most sated woman on earth," she told him slightly breathless.

"And I was... on my way... to honour my promise..." he replied as his hands resumed the exploration of her delectable curves, eliciting a moan from her when she moved to sheath him in her warmth and enveloped him in her loving energy yet again.

"... you were going... too slow..." she panted, leaning forward to press her soft curves against his shapely body.

"Chloe, tell me... what you need..."

"Shh. Don't need... anything," she whispered close to his lips, increasing the rocking. "Everything... I need... is right here... "

It didn't take long for Lex to come undone after hearing those words murmured in his ear and for Chloe to follow him in a beautifully shattering climax.

"Why do I get the impression you did your best to prevent me from giving tonight?" he asked her a few minutes afterwards, turning his head on the pillow to bore his eyes into her.

"I thought you'd derived as much pleasure as I," she replied with a small frown.

"I didn't say the contrary. But you know exactly what I meant."

"I panicked a little, OK?" she said grudgingly. "For a moment I felt I was no longer in control and that I was back to being Karen again."

"Do I make you feel that way? You know I'm a damn control freak. God knows I'm trying to change that. I'm as scared as you are at times, Chloe. I wouldn't like to asphyxiate you the way Dad did my mother, " he confessed, grazing her cheek with his knuckles.

"We're two basket cases, aren't we?" she chuckled. "We are not our parents, Lex, though sometimes our fear of becoming them or following in some of their footsteps cripples us."

"Old habits die hard. Going back to what I said at the beginning of this conversation...I wanted this night to be special... I wanted to..."

"I know. I know how difficult it is for you to give, to open up after everything you've been through with your Dad... with Clark... with those closest to you... However, you've done nothing but give ever since I came back to your life, Lex."

"Chloe, that isn't true..."

"It is. And you don't know how much it means to me that you're willing to make yourself so vulnerable for us... for our family. You made the ultimate giving gesture today when you shared your pet project with me and came up with your proposal."

"Do you have an answer yet?" he asked, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"I'll do it, but I've been thinking of putting my own spin on your idea."

"You have?" he cocked an eyebrow. "Are you willing to share it?"

"Mm... how would you feel about being a real life Xavier?"

"Xavier?" he frowned.

"I know he isn't Warrior Angel..." she smiled mischievously.

"You don't mean THAT Xavier," he replied suavely.

"Why? Wasn't you who said bald men are sexier?" she smiled one of the Sullivan smiles he remembered from days of old- when she was an intrepid high school reporter filled with dreams and he was a twenty-one-year-old who still yearned to get his father's love and approval.

"I should be careful about what comes out of my mouth now that the old and improved Chloe Sullivan's back," he smirked. "So will you tell me exactly what plan has been taking shape in your mind and what role you expect me to play?"

"Can't you guess?"

"I might have an inkling, but I'd like you to elaborate, considering I was planning to start working on it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"The sooner the better, don't you agree?"

"Yes, but I was hoping that you would... you know... come with us?" she smiled, breaching the gap between them.

"You won't give up, will you? " he sighed, cupping her cheek and brushing her lips with his.

"No," she replied with a wide smile.

"I might drop by... Don't read too much into it... I'll only pick my two girls up."

"Thanks," she whispered, snuggling closer and laying her head on his chest.

He'd go to hell and back to make her happy and if all it took was a touch-and-go visit to the Kent farm so be it.

"Will you answer one question though?" he murmured, brushing her hair with gentle fingers. "Why?"

"Because I know how much the Kents meant to you," he heard her muffled voice say as she pressed a kiss on his chest just where his heart was beating.

"I don't want you to have false expectations, Chloe. Martha has never been the whole Kent household and there's too much of Jonathan in Clark," he told her gravely. _And I hope for your sake and for his that he won't dare hurt you because we're a family now_.

"Never underestimate the power of a woman, Lex," she responded with a Cheshire smile. _Or a small platoon of them._

A/N: Clark's recollection was taken verbatim from the Season 3 Finale-"Covenant".


	23. Echoes

**CHAPTER 23**: Echoes

KENT FARM- NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING

Clark had finished milking the cows and fixing a broken fence when he saw a car that he knew only too well drive up the dust path which led straight to the house. He clenched his teeth and left the paddock after feeding Martha's mare. It seemed it was written in the stars that he wasn't meant to have a quiet respite at home.

"Clark!" Martha chided him when he entered the kitchen letting the storm door slam.

"Sorry, Mom," he replied, twitching his lips and looking at her apologetically when he realised he'd forgotten to wipe the mud off his boots before stepping inside.

"You should take off those boots and wash your hands," she sighed, setting down the last batch of chocolate chip cookies on the work top."We have guests this morning," she added with a smile, looking towards the breakfast nook.

"Yeah, I know," he said with a sour face.

"Wow, Clark! Is that the way you welcome someone you used to call one of your best friends?" asked a young woman's voice with playful reproachfulness.

"Chloe?"

"Missed me?" she chuckled as she got lost in Clark's bear hug. "Glad you seem happy to see me but, please, leave me some bone intact."

"Sorry," he slackened the embrace and took a step back to have a better look at her."You look great, Chlo'," he added softly.

"Thanks," she answered somewhat shyly.

"It must be love, Smallville," Lois butted in, as she and Laura climbed down the stairs.

"Lois," he pursed his lips, "I thought I'd seen your car on the driveway."

"Don't pay attention to him, Laurie. He's grouchy in the mornings," said Chloe's eldest cousin when they arrived at the bottom of the stairs. "His bark is worse than his bite. Right, Mrs K?"

"Where are your manners, Clark?" Martha chided him as she wiped her hands with a tea towel.

"Hello, Laura," Clark greeted the child with that smile which used to make Chloe's heart flutter.

"H'llo. D'you have a dog?" asked the girl, whose blue-grey eyes looked as disturbingly intense as those of Lex's. "Daddy said you had a 'triever."

"A Golden Retriever," Chloe corrected her."What was his name? I'm afraid there are still things I can't remember," she added with a tired smile.

"Shelby. And I still have him," he addressed the child, wondering what else Lex had told her about his former best friend.

"Oh, that ball of hair! I still think Clarky would have been a better name," Lois interrupted, wrinkling her nose. "You'd better keep Laurie away from the beast, cuz. I couldn't stop sneezing the first time we met."

"That's because Shelby has a sixth sense to smell a pest at first sight," replied Clark with a fake smile.

"Clark!" exclaimed Martha reprovingly.

"Say, Clark, when are you two going out?" smirked Chloe.

"What?" cried Lois and the farmboy simultaneously.

"Why are you looking at me that way? Have I suddenly grown two heads? I just got the impression there was something in the air, that's all," shrugged the blonde reporter, shooting a sideway glance at Martha, who was trying hard not to laugh.

"Well, there's not," stated Clark with a frown.

"You could have fooled anyone," chuckled a voice unknown to Clark's ears. "I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself. I'm Moira Sullivan- Chloe's Mom," she told Martha's son, stretching out her hand to shake his as he tried to shake off the dumbfounded look on his face on finding out the woman was not only sane but was also making fun of him." I have to agree with my daughter. We used to call that foreplay when I was younger."

"Aunt Moira!" exclaimed Lois, rushing to cover Laura's ears.

"Lois, since when are you such a prude?" Chloe cocked an eyebrow.

"I just don't want to give a certain follicle-challenged individual an extra reason to keep me away from my little cousin," she said through greeted teeth.

"As if that would stop you," added Clark under his breath.

"You keep your trap shut, Smallville. We're five to one this morning and I've got a feeling it won't be the last, so you'd better get used to it."

"OK, children," Moira sighed, taking a platter from Martha's hands. "How about burying the hatchet till breakfast's over before these tasty warm pancakes are ruined?"

LUTHORCORP PLAZA- 33.1 LEVEL- 9.45 a.m.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Mikhail with a speculative look in his eyes.

"As I told you the day I brought you here; if there's one thing I've learnt, it's that anything lost can be found again," Lex told the young man from the Balkans as he presented him with the documents his team of lawyers had drafted.

"If I sign this, what guarantee do I have I won't be held a prisoner against my will again?"

"This is just a confidentiality agreement; an insurance to protect LuthorCorp against massive lawsuits in the future. Sign it and you can walk away a free man. I'd rather you accepted my offer, though; we both know you weren't born to be a bookie or a swindler. And... you helped save my family with your powers; that's something I won't ever forget. Think of it as a new chance. But first... there's one last think I'd like you to do for me."

"I should have known there was a catch," sighed the young man.

"No catch. You can turn my request down. It isn't binding, by the way. Whether you choose to join the project or leave is up to you."

"Excuse me if I'm sceptical."

"I'd be in your debt. Surely you must know how much that's worth," Lex cocked an eyebrow.

"OK. I'm listening."

KENT FARM- 10 a.m.

Clark lay back in the chair that used to be Jonathan's at the head of the table and observed the five women laugh and bond over breakfast; the old, the new and the future generations sharing one big table. His father had passed away a little over a year ago and this was the first time Clark felt they were a family again. There was a person missing at the table, someone who had never been invited to sit with them while Jonathan was alive; the farmboy looked at the blonde three-year-old sitting between Chloe and Lois and wondered if she was the miracle which might make the unthinkable possible.

Chloe laughed heartily at some witty remark of Lois' and he was transported to another time and place when they were joined at the hip, a time when she hung on every word he said and was always ready to burn the candle at both ends to help him solve some Smallville mystery or save Lana from the freak of the week. He'd missed having the blonde reporter in his life and felt the pain of guilt weighing on his shoulders at the way he'd pushed her away. Pete and Chloe had vanished from his life almost simultaneously and... then Lex. And that had left him only Lana, the person who had been the centre of his universe ever since she moved in with Nell across from the Kent farm. However, the brunette had never been able to fill in the shoes of the friends and confidents he'd lost; she'd isolated him even more- or rather, he'd built an even higher wall around him and ended up losing her too. For over a year he'd tried to blame Lex for taking yet another important woman away from his side... Bitterness had blinded Clark. Maybe it was time he looked at himself in the mirror and accepted his share of guilt.

"Let me do the dishes, Martha," said Chloe, getting up from the table and interrupting Clark's musings.

"You're our guest, Chloe," Mrs Kent shook her head.

"And you made breakfast and baked to feed at least a dozen people. It's the least I could do," replied the blonde reporter, starting to pile up the empty cups and used cutlery.

"Why don't _I_ give you a hand, Martha?" offered Moira. "Let's leave the young people to catch up, shall we?"

"Mom, can I go see Shelby?" asked Laurie, pulling Chloe's sleeve to call her attention.

"You know, you can see more than just Shelby..." smiled Clark.

"Don't tell me that Clarky's been doing the naughty," frowned Lois.

"Lois..." said Clark under his breath.

"I'd better give Aunt Moira and Mrs K a hand drying the dishes," she replied with a fake smile.

"Wise decision," he told her tightly. "Shall we?" he added, opening the door for Chloe and Laurie.

"Hands," said the girl, showing her sticky fingers.

"There's a pump outside. Come," he replied, giving them a gentle push and shutting the door behind them.

"Anxious to make an escape?" chuckled Chloe.

"You have no idea," he sighed.

Chloe leant beside Clark on the fence to look at Laurie, who was running in the green fields playing throw and fetch with Shelby and three yapping puppies. The reporter took a deep breath as the soft breeze brought the perfume of the flowers in bloom across the fields. She'd forgotten what clean air smelt like after three years of living away from the small town.

"She looks like a happy child," said Clark warmly, seeing his high school friend smile when the girl fell on her rear and one of the puppies climbed onto her and lapped her face."I'm sorry, Chloe."

"Why?" she frowned, turning her face to meet his gaze.

"For pushing you away. For everything that happened that year. "

"It hurt to realise the person who was supposed to be my best friend didn't trust me and that he preferred being around the girl in whose shadow I'd spent most of my teenage years. It felt like the end of the world then, but it was _I_ who made the mistake of underestimating Lionel Luthor. "

"You wouldn't have become entangled with _him_ if I'd been honest with you about me and Lana."

"Are we still talking about _Lionel_ Luthor?" she cocked an eyebrow.

"There's no way we can discuss this without talking about the son too."

"Are things that bad between you that you can't even say his name?"

"You've been away three years, Chloe. A lot of water has run under the bridge."

"I was gone three years, but you were his best friend, Clark. Where were you at the time of the safe house explosion?"

"I wish I had been there... If I had known... I wish I could have saved you... and your Dad."

"I wasn't talking about me, Clark. I was talking about Lex. You pushed him away too. Why?"

"That's not what happened, Chloe. He was obsessed with me. He'd promised he'd stop digging into my background..."

"He just wanted for you to be honest with him, Clark. He might have gone the wrong way about it, made a foolish mistake- not very different from the ones you and I'd made... Why is it that you can forgive _me_ for going to Lionel behind your back but you couldn't accept Lex's apology back then? "

"It's different."

"Different how? Because he is a Luthor? Laurie is a Luthor by birth too. Does that mean she won't ever be allowed to make a mistake and ask to be forgiven? Does the fact that Luthor blood runs through her veins render her instantly unworthy?" she glared.

"No, of course, not!"

"Then explain it to me."

"She's your daughter, Chloe."

"She's _our_ daughter. Do you mean to imply if she weren't mine too, you would look at her differently?"

"You're putting words in my mouth, Chloe. "

"I'm sorry but I don't understand. Does this have anything to do with your secret and his getting too close to it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't do that, Clark. Don't you patronise me. I knew there was something special about you before I left, just as I do now. A miracle happened a few days ago and you were there, just as you used to be there whenever something extraordinary happened in the nick of time while we were in high school. I don't know what it is and I don't need to know, Clark. I just want you to stop lying to me. "

"Chlo'... "

"It's OK if you're a meteor freak, Clark. Hell, even_ I_ am one, and let me tell you, I'm scared shitless, " she said with a nervous laugh. "Now you're speechless."

"Close to three-quarters of Smallville's population is meteor-infected, and you've been around meteor rocks more than the average citizen..."

"Yeah, you're right. So you see? You're not alone. And in the last few days I've realised that meteor powers don't have to be a curse. They can be a gift too when properly channelled."

"You're starting to sound like him."

"I'm not talking about Lionel Luthor's original plan for 33.1, which Lex dusted off a few months after the safe house. Don't look surprised. I know all about it."

"Did you discover it on your own or did Lex talk to you about it?"

"A little bit of both. Look, Clark, I know that whatever was broken between you two won't be rebuilt overnight, but he's really trying not to be the man he was after the explosion. You know everything Lionel put him through... I'm not making excuses for him... but... even though it goes against his upbringing and even though he's scared witless of shedding those protective walls he had to erect to survive his Dad and everyone that ended up hurting him, he's doing his best to open up to me and that includes sharing some of his most sensitive projects."

"How much do you know about 33.1?"

"Everything. I've read every file and paper. Even seen footage... I don't approve of the way things were handled and yet... I believe not everything that was done should be lost... "

"Chloe, all those experiments... people taken against their will... "

"I'm not denying what happened there or the role that Lex played in it- he isn't either. As a matter of fact, until a few days ago his plan was to shut the thing down. Then we kind of thought things over."

"What?"

"Don't look so appalled, Clark. I thought you knew me better than that. Do you honestly think I would condone having people like you and I experimented on?"

"I'm afraid I don't follow you. If you don't agree with it then why didn't you encourage him to dismantle it?"

"I'm going to ask something of you, Clark, something that you denied me in the past. I want your trust. I'm not asking you to share your secrets with me. I'm just asking you to have faith in me... and in him. Lex was raised by a cold selfish bastard, and although he can be like than on occasion, you know there's more to him than that; he's also capable of selfless acts. You can't deny it, Clark, they might have happened a long time ago but you surely can't have forgotten everything he once did for you, your family and even people he'd never set eyes on. You can't be so petty as to put everything down to his having a secret agenda. You told me just a while ago that Laurie was different because she's my child. Well, Lex isn't just a Luthor either; Lillian's blood runs through his veins too. "

"Daddy!" exclaimed Laurie with a wide smile which revealed two cute dimples as she ran followed by the dogs towards the silver Porsche parked in front of the barn.

"I'm not blind to his flaws. I know he has an obsessive and manipulative streak, but it all comes down to his insecurities. He's a good man, Clark. He's just been misguided... and unloved. I'm not saying he's perfect or that he won't make mistakes again... "

"None of us is perfect," replied the farmboy quietly, observing Lex's confident gait as he approached them smiling at the excited prattling of the blonde girl he held by the hand.

"Can we ask him?" they heard Laurie say as she and Lex got closer to them.

"We'll see," he smirked, wondering if he'll ever be able to resist her cute pout. He was already as much in love with his daughter as with Chloe. Lionel must be turning in his grave to see how these two women had his son twisted round their little finger."Morning," he murmured, kissing Chloe softly on the lips and enjoying the farmboy's discomfiture.

"Good morning. How was your flight?"

"Bumpy," he replied enigmatically."Clark."

"Lex."

"Would you excuse me, guys? I've promised Martha I'd give her a hand with a petition," Chloe added, breaking the uncomfortable silence."I'll be done in fifteen minutes, OK?"

"Take your time," Lex told her as she sprinted away.

Their buffer gone and sensing the strange atmosphere between the two adults, Laurie decided to test the waters and see if she could get her wish.

"Where do the puppies sleep?" she blurted out, looking up at Clark.

"In the barn."

"In the barn? Alone?"

"No, with Shelby."

"But... aren't they cold?" she frowned, leaning closer to Lex.

"Well... when it's cold we let them sleep in the kitchen."

"Mm... do you live with Martha?"

"No, not anymore."

"Why not?"

"Well... I'm a grown-up now. I study at Central Kansas like Lois. We both stay at the dorms. I come back to the farm once a month or once every month."

"You live with Lois?" she asked wide-eyed.

"No! She... lives in the girls' dorm."

"Oh!" she said with a pensive air. "But you like her, right?"

"I bet he does. You have to be a fool not to like the Sullivan-Lane female clan. They're very special girls. Don't you agree, Clark?"

"That they are. You're quite the reporter... " replied Clark, smiling at the tiny tot.

"I have a big house," stated she. "With a big fire in the study."

"I know. I used to go to your house when I was in high school and sit to talk with a friend by the fire," explained Clark, shooting Lex a glance.

"You did? "

"Clark and _Mommy_ used to come and visit me almost every week," clarified Lex.

"Will you come and visit now?" Laurie asked Clark with a tilt in her voice.

"Maybe. Would you like me to come?" asked Clark, focusing all his attention on the girl.

Laurie tightened her hold on Lex's leg and looked up to lock eyes with the billionaire before focusing her gaze on the farmboy again.

"Mommy says you're friends. Friends share... Daddy has no dog," she told Clark with a sad look in her blue-grey eyes. "Can he have a puppy?"she finally said, kneeling down to pick up the one which stood out from the rest because of its different colouring. It had become her favourite puppy as soon as she'd set eyes on it. It had a white patch around one eye and its brothers seemed to do their best to keep it out of their games, and still that never appeared to faze the animal. She liked it better than the other two. It seemed proud at first sight, but it loved having its back stroked. It was the perfect doggie for her daddy.

Lex felt a sudden clench in his chest on hearing the blonde sprite's words. Although he'd known about Laurie's eagerness to have a four-legged pet at the mansion, he'd never expected the request to have anything to do with him and his lack of a faithful companion. Now he remembered his daughter's intelligent probing a few days ago and his surprising confession- he'd never had a dog while growing up.

"Your Mommy's right. Friends should learn to share what they have. And this little fellow here needs a home and a family to love him. Nobody should be denied that. So... Lex? It seems your new family'll be getting bigger."

"So it seems," he murmured, seeing the little beast wag its tail and lap the child's face enthusiastically as she hugged it closer.

"Smallville!" a shout pierced the strangely quiet and warm atmosphere which had been created thanks to the infant's mediation.

"Also your family seems to have grown since the last time I was around the farm," smirked Lex at the farmboy's scowl.

"God forbid," mumbled Clark.

"Smallville! You'd better come inside the house now You have a call from The Planet."

"The Planet?" Lex cocked an eyebrow.

"I'll be there in a minute!" he shouted. " Lois and I have been trying to get an internship as part of our study program," confessed Clark. "Listen, Lex, I... just... I'm sorry about what I said in Metropolis a few weeks ago. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions... I didn't know... I'd never suspected anything."

"Nobody was supposed to know. Your mother was the only one who did... and she was the soul of discretion. What Chloe and I have has never been anything seedy and I hated having to hide it from the world, but it was the only way I knew of protecting her," said Lex quietly as he observed Laurie playing with the puppy a few feet away from them. "I know what you're going to say- that if I'd really wanted to shelter her, I should have let her be."

"We don't know what would have happened if you hadn't stepped in when you did, Lex. Maybe she wouldn't have lived to enter the witness protection program. And there's a fair chance she wouldn't have made that deal with your Dad if I hadn't pushed her away or if I'd at least been honest about... Lana and me."

"I suppose we'll never know... You'd better hurry back, Clark. You wouldn't like for another journalism student to rob you the chance because you took too long to pick up a call... Go... "

"OK... "

"Clark?" he called him as he made to leave.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for the dog. It means a lot to Laurie... and to me."

"You're welcome. You and Chloe have a lovely daughter... I hope this is it, Lex. I hope Chloe and Laurie are what you've been waiting for."

"They are."

"Then I guess we'll see more of each other soon."

"So no more impromptu crusader incursions into LuthorCorp property? Come on, Clark. Let's not start with the wrong foot again. We both know what I'm talking about. It'll take both of us time to learn to trust each other, but let's at least be honest in this."

"Sending Oliver to save us was something my old friend would have done. I'm ready to give you the benefit of the doubt and our friendship another chance... if you are."

"I am, but I'm afraid there won't any friendship to patch up unless you hurry up, Clark. I can see Lois' glare from here."

"Start thinking about how you'll repay me for the dog, Lex. You'll thank me when that ball of hair ends up being the only protection against a Lane siege," Clark told him, starting to run towards the farm

"Oh, I don't know. Lois and I are getting on pretty well... " murmured the billionaire when the farmboy hastened his trot... "I think it's you who'll be sieged by a Lane when you least expect it."

Lex slipped his hands in the pockets of his Armani overcoat and saw the new addition to their family succeed at grabbing the stick before its siblings. The dog ran with the bounty to where Laurie was kneeling and, after a few whispered words in its ear, veered towards its new master at whose feet it left the stick as an offering. Lex met the creature's guarded look for a few seconds and, feeling a sudden empathy with the animal, stroked its head before joining in the game.

Chloe stepped onto the veranda and leant against the post to observe the usually unflappable and restrained billionaire play and bond with their daughter and the clumsy puppy.

"I still can't believe how a father can be so unnatural as to deprive his own son of a childhood," said Martha quietly, standing beside her."When I think how much Jonathan and I wished to have a little one in our life before Clark ... it tears my heart to know a man was blessed with an innocent child only to end up breaking his spirit. Not a day has gone by without my praying for Lex's soul ever since you were snatched away from his life, Chloe- even when I saw him and Clark drift further apart. I'm so glad my prayers have been answered at last. I know it won't be easy to undo all the harm that's been done or to get back what you were robbed...Not so long ago I wouldn't have imagined this scene in my backyard... and the idea of a civilised conversation between Clark and him... well, let's just say, I could barely remember what that was like. Jonathan was never a fan of anyone bearing the surname Luthor... I tried so hard the first years to get him to see what I saw of Lillian in her boy..."

"Did you know her?" asked Chloe with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"We used to frequent the same circles before I met Jonathan at MetU and she got engaged to Lionel. She was a beautiful woman, inside and out; she'd have loved to see her child find happiness at last. I wish she could have met you and you her."

"So do I. I wish she could see him now... "

"I'm sure she can," murmured Martha, wrapping an arm around Chloe's shoulders."Do you have news about the trial?"

"We're leaving for Gotham in a fortnight. I can't wait for it to be over... I just hope justice is served this time."

"And then? What are your plans?" asked Clark's mum with a conspiratorial grin.

"I'm afraid we've both been so badly burnt by our past experiences that we don't like making too many plans in advance. But..."

"But?" Martha cocked an eyebrow.

"Get ready to be surprised."


	24. Closure

**CHAPTER 24:** Closure

LUTHOR MANSION- LEX'S DEN

Two weeks had elapsed since their visit to the Kent farm and Pirate had already settled down at the mansion. Choosing a name for him had been a family affair in which even Lois had taken part- she was, of course, the one who had come up with the most outrageous ones; all of which mocked the dog's master somehow. In the end, it was the animal's pirate-like patch round its eye what settled the matter. Lex had suggested several names, most of which belonged to illustrious members of Her Majesty's privateers, including Drake and Morgan... but Chloe and Laurie's snickers and giggles on hearing such pompous names attached to the puppy had made him cave in.

The little beast alternated his time between the mansion's gardens, where he and Laurie ran to their heart's content, and the quiet solitude of Lex's study, where he stretched out in front of his master's desk and gave himself to brooding while Lex worked on his laptop and signed LuthorCorp documents.

"You're the picture of perfect companionship," chuckled Chloe as she plopped down in one of the upholstered armchairs near the now unlit fireplace.

"When we brought him home I was half-expecting he'd sharpen his teeth on the furniture and that I'd have to be chasing him around the rooms to snatch some LuthorCorp dossier from his mouth."

"Oh, you man of little faith! You seem to have forgotten he was begotten by a mild-mannered farmboy's pet."

"Thank God he isn't fond of plaid shirts," he snickered, signing the last document on the pile.

"Speaking of plaid shirts and farmboys; Clark's just brought the weekly delivery and had some exciting news to share..."

"I suppose it has nothing to do with a certain brunette pest called Lane."

"Well, no. Although her name also came up in the conversation... You knew about their interview at The Planet to get an internship this semester, right?"

"Yes, I heard something about it when I came to pick you up at the farm," he replied with a poker face, recapping his MontBlanc.

"Just heard? Or a little bit more?" she cocked an eyebrow with a conspiratorial grin.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" he asked her impassively, leaning back on his swivel chair.

"I don't know... I've been thinking... subtle bribery, some veiled threats of having a certain editor transferred to some obscure newspaper."

"Is your opinion of me so low?"

"Lex, we both know how you've always operated. I'm not expecting you to change into Mother Theresa for me. In any case, if you've twisted some arms on this occasion, I find it kind of cute."

"I don't do cute," he huffed.

"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me," she said huskily, swinging around his swivel chair to sit herself on his lap. "You wouldn't like for them to find out what you've done though. Clark'll surely accuse you of trying to buy him off."

"I'm not..." he started to object until she cut him off.

"I said that's what _he_ might think, being who he is. And you know, although I think using your pull to let them have their dream is something more to love you for, you should try to stop thinking about you as unworthy of Clark's friendship or anyone's for that matter. You're flawed, yes, but who's perfect? Clark isn't exactly a candidate for the best friend award or the most honest. He's got deep dark secrets in his closet too. "

"You think?" he smirked, brushing a few blond hairs off her face.

"He's so transparent. I wonder who he thinks he's fooling. He'd never fooled us."

"No, not us. Do you think Lois suspects anything?"

"My cousin's not as oblivious as you think. She might choose not to acknowledge some things which are going on around her. Call it self-preservation, if you will. But she's a hell of a lot better at lying and keeping secrets than Clark ever will; especially when she cares about someone."

"I hope for both their sakes he'll stop mooning over Lana," he nuzzled her neck.

"Lex, are you playing matchmaker now? Don't tell me you twisted the editor's arm to force Clark and my cousin to socialise on a daily basis. Wasn't you who called Lois a nosy pest the last time she was here?"

"I still believe she's a pest," he whispered in her ear as he tugged at her earlobe.

"Are you turning soft-hearted?" she smiled.

"If she's otherwise engaged, we won't see her nosing around the mansion so much. Besides, being soft-hearted isn't ingrained in my Luthor genes," he replied, as she shifted on his lap.

"They aren't your only genes. Did you know that Martha was friends with your Mom when they were single?" she asked softly, straddling him now.

"Were they?" he replied after a slight pause, feeling a small lump in his throat like every time he thought of Lillian."She never said anything."

"Martha said your Mom would have loved to see you now... She'd have been proud of you, Lex," she added quietly, splaying her hands on his chest.

"I still have a lot to do to make amends, Chloe. I don't feel like I am..."

"Don't say _deserving_. I don't want to hear that word come out of your mouth again. ," she interrupted him, putting her fingers on his mouth."She'd have been proud of the way you are with me and our child, and of everything you're doing to fix things."

"You're doing most of the work."

"That's bull, Mr Luthor!" she punched his chest playfully.

"I wouldn't have been able to convince half of the people to stay and give this project a chance."

"Give them time, Lex."

"I don't think it's a question of time, Chloe. You should be realistic. There's a very good chance they'll never trust me. I wouldn't blame them."

"I know the original idea behind 33.1. when you picked up the project from your Dad was to help these people and let them enjoy a normal life or as normal as it could be given who they are. You lost yourself along the way, but you realised it in time- that certainly counts for something. So... going back to the issue we were discussing... Did you or didn't you convince a certain editor to put Clark and Lois' names at the top of the list for the internships?"

"I might have said something or other about his golf club membership due for renewal and the second mortgage on his house to pay for his secret lover's expensive tastes."

"You'll be so busted if Clark ever finds out."

"I've just given them a little push. They'll have to prove their worth or the _owner _of The Planet will sack them before hiring them once they graduate," he smirked.

"Leeeex..."

"OK. I bought the paper. I didn't like that Linda Lake column anyway. I rescinded her contract. My first executive decision as the new owner. "

"This is worse than I thought. They'll start crying nepotism in the news room."

"I hope Clark's improved something since the day he did those menus for The Torch. I have a little more faith in your cousin. She's been doing some research into the mayor... quite promising... "

"Nothing that might end up with her killed or hurt, right? I seem to remember your father backed that fellow's candidacy."

"That's what Clark will be there for... and myself of course. I wouldn't let anything happen to your... _our_ ...family, Chloe. So, tell me... what does this man have to do to ensure you'll cover his back if the plaid shirt boy ever suspects he had anything to do with these internships?" he smiled, leaning forward to brush her lips with his.

"Oh, I have some very interesting ideas?" she smiled mischievously, snaking her arm around his neck and pressing closer to him.

"Care to elaborate a little?" he asked, tightening his hold on her.

"I can just feel you're already having some ideas of your own," she told him in a seductive tone as she noticed the effect their playful banter was having on Lex's anatomy."But... I'm afraid you'll have to take a rain check till tonight. I'd come to the study to let you know lunch was ready... and as horny as we both might be, if we dragged this on a few minutes more, I don't feel like having Pirate in the same room," she added, starting to get up. "I think his master's possessive streak has already rubbed off on him," she cocked an eyebrow, noticing the dog had left his place in front of the desk and was yapping and looking at them speculatively.

A couple of nights ago the puppy had managed to open the door of the playroom, where he slept at night, and rushed into the master bedroom intent on saving his master from a mysterious assailant- only to find the young couple in the throes of passionate love-making. The upsetting intrusion had eventually given way to a fit of laughter when Chloe suggested hiring one of those pet psychiatrists to make sure they hadn't scarred the animal at such a tender age or even created a canine version of Lex's former womanising-self. The idea of having a queue of Smallville's farmers knocking at the mansion doors asking for alimony on behalf of their pets in a few months' time convinced Lex they needed to call the locksmith first thing in the morning.

"Would lunch get ruined if we took a short detour to the east wing?" he asked lightly, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind when he saw her smile starting to fade away."Chloe?" he asked quietly when she closed her eyes and leant against him without replying.

"I don't know how long I can take having to hide from the world like this. Don't get me wrong, I love our time together as a family and as a couple but ... "

"You're starting to feel asphyxiated. I'm sorry you both have to be cooped up here and that the Kents' is the only place you can frequent. It's the best way to keep you safe. I know Laurie needs to socialise with other children, feel that she has a normal life... I too want for us to be able to go out in the daylight... we had enough of hiding away before you left. I'm dying to introduce you to the world as my wife... " he went on.

"So am I. I can't wait for this nightmare to be over. I know that you and Bruce are powerful guys and that there are a lot of people whose careers will reach the stratosphere if they get a stiff sentence for Edge. It's just that... I cannot help but remember what happened last time... Everyone has a price, Lex . What if he gets away or if someone buys his release? "

"It won't happen," he stated gravely, and Chloe felt a sudden shiver course up her spine. She hadn't seen this side of Lex in a while but she knew it would always be part of him."Are you having second thoughts about us?" he added when he felt her tremble a little.

"I'm not, Lex," she told him quietly, grabbing one of his hands and squeezing it gently. His insecurity never ceased to get to her; she still had work ahead to prove to him she and Laurie weren't going anywhere. "I love you. _We_ love you," she said emotionally."I trust you," she added in a raspy voice, standing on tiptoe to graze his lips with hers.

The playful mood of a few moments ago was gone and gave way to a brief but intimate and meaningful moment between them as their tongues mated in an unrushed kiss. It was a tender and quiet interlude of reassurance they both needed.

"I'd never do anything to jeopardise what we have found again, Chloe," he murmured, cupping her face in his hands.

"I know," she smiled, aware that he'd also do whatever he deemed necessary to make sure his loved ones were protected from harm and that anyone who dared put their safety at risk or hurt them in some way would pay for it dearly.

Lex could tell she suspected he had something up his sleeve and yet he didn't experience that bitterness which had always erupted whenever someone who meant something to him pretended everything was OK or resorted to fake smiles and empty words to try to make him think he was trusted when indeed he was not. Chloe was the most outspoken and honest woman he'd ever known and when she'd told him not only that she loved him but that he trusted him, he'd taken her words at face value. Lionel's son would have second guessed, but Lex felt he could be Lillian's child with Chloe. She had trusted him with her life and her father's once; no one had ever shown such faith in him. She was trusting him again implicitly, standing by whatever decision he might have made, believing he'd put their safety and their family first without losing his soul in the process.

THE DAILY PLANET BULLPEN- THE FOLLOWING DAY

It was Clark and Lois' tenth day as The Planet's newest interns and they were exhilarated by the whole shebang. Although they were in the basement, sharing a confined space amidst some old filing cabinets whose contents they were helping to transfer to the paper's computerised database, being part of the legendary Planet in some way felt like a big achievement when they were still in nappies. Everything was the way it was supposed to be; they had to start from the bottom and prove themselves to the bosses before earning the right to share a desk with the Pulitzer winners upstairs.

The atmosphere between the two had been strained the first couple of days until the editor called them to his office and urged them to work through their differences or else Lois would find herself serving coffee and muffins- an idea which had put an ironic smile on Lex's face- and Clark would be assigned the task of cleaning the windows from the outside wearing a harness while hanging from a rope.

The farmboy had gulped at the option presented. He'd swallow his pride and try to deal with the sexual tension and sparks which were flying between them and that he'd been trying to cover up resorting to hostility. Meanwhile, Lois' pride and her eagerness to prove herself worthy of the chance she'd been given convinced her there were worse things in this world than fighting off that tingling sensation she got every time he brushed her accidentally while rifling through the old files- not to mention the urge she felt on occasion to slam him against the cabinet and see if she could ruffle his prim and proper appearance with a few hungry kisses. What in heaven's name was wrong with her? She'd never felt that way before, not even around Oliver. Chloe and Lex would never live it down if they could read what was going through her head.

"Have you finished with the middle drawer?" asked Clark with his hand on the handle of the bottom one as she sat at their shared desk with a faraway look. "Earth to Lois!" he insisted, making her jump off her seat.

"Jeez, Smalville! You almost gave me a heart attack."

"What were you thinking of anyway? You seemed to be miles away from here. Have you dug up anything new on the mayor? You promised to keep me on the loop, Lois."

"I'm a big girl, Clark. "

"I'm not trying to steal the story from you if that's what you're afraid of."

"I wasn't suggesting anything like that. You wouldn't be able to look at Martha in the eye if you were..."

"Hey, Lane!" shouted a proof reader, knocking on the glass of the storage room. "You'd better hurry. The boss wants you in his office stat."

"What have you done now?" frowned Clark.

"I've been on my best behaviour," she glared at him.

"Some people are born lucky, Lane. I have a hunch you'll get the break some people would have to kill themselves for."

THE EDITOR'S OFFICE

"Mr Pearson," smiled Lois, closing the door behind her and trying to appear unfazed as she remained standing in front of the short-tempered editor-in-chief.

"Ms Lane. It appears you've been hiding something from me," said the middle-aged man, lying back on his swivel chair.

"Pardon?" asked Lois, feeling her heart gallop in her chest.

"I have a small battalion of journalists working on this story. Two of my best were in that courtroom to witness this," he explained, turning up the sound of the TV. "All of the channels are fighting to get the exclusive. All of them have been turned down and I've just found out thanks to James Olsen... a freaking assistant photographer... that you're Miss Sullivan's cousin!"

Lois had her eyes glued to the screen and wished she'd been there to celebrate with her younger cousin... and Lex. Although she'd expected the jury to find the bastard and his accomplices guilty, the outcome of the last day of the trial had been surprising to say the least.

"Unbelievable, isn't it? That confession three years ago would have changed history, wouldn't it?" said Mr Pearson, observing Lois' dumbfounded look."I want the interview no one's been able to get. You hear me, Lane? Get me Sullivan."

"I won't exploit my cousin's grief to further my career, Mr Pearson."

"If you don't do this, Lane, somebody else will write this story, and your cousin might not be treated so nicely."

"I don't appreciate being emotionally blackmailed. This isn't the way I plan to make a name in the business. I'm here because of a dream that was born during my last year at high school. It was my cousin's too. And let me tell you, she's a damn good reporter and writer- better than some of the people who are part of your permanent staff. I wouldn't be here if she hadn't awoken the calling in me. I want to feel I'm here because of my own merits and not because of my family connections," she fumed.

"Good answer," clapped the editor. "Congratulations, Miss Lane, you've just passed the test," he smiled.

"What?"

"I like you. Prove your worth writing a good juicy story- a story other than this one- and I might consider keeping you as part of the staff once you finish your studies," replied Pearson." Now, take the rest of the day off. I'm sure you're dying to join the Luthors to celebrate. What are you waiting for, Lane? You're excused," he finished, picking up the receiver. "Yeah, Pearson here."

"So? What happened? Are you OK, Lois? Did he give you an assignment?" Clark bombarded her with questions as she stepped out of the office.

"Have you watched the news, Clark?"

"No, I've come straight from the basement. Why? " frowned the farmboy.

"Edge confessed to being an accessory to the murder of Lachlan and Eliza Luthor. He named Lionel Luthor as the mastermind behind it. Do you know what this means, Clark?"

"Closure."

"You know, of all the things I expected to happen at that trial this wasn't amongst the scenarios I imagined. Don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic. It's just that..."

"You don't believe he's grown a conscience all of a sudden. "

"Yeah, exactly. Something really odd happened in that courtroom this morning. But, you know what? I don't care what it was. Justice will be served at last. The rat of Lionel Luthor saved his sorry ass from the chair but Edge won't. He deserves everything he's got coming."

"What did Mr Pearson want?"

"That man's a piece of work, let me tell you. Pick up your jacket. We're done for today."

"But... "

"This is a great day for Chloe... and Lex, Smallville. We have to be there. The damn database can wait. We've missed many birthdays and special occasions already. I'm not planning to waste any more. So? Are you coming or not?"

"You're right, Lois. It's time to celebrate the present."


	25. New Beginnings

**CHAPTER 25:** New Beginnings

_WAYNE INDUSTRIES' HANGAR AT GOTHAM'S AIRPORT – AROUND TWO O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON_

Closure had arrived after three years of emotional barrenness for Lex and he tried to hide his giddiness at seeing how well his strategy at the courthouse had worked out today. Mikhail had once again delivered by using his verbal mind control on the chief of Intergang, provoking a commotion in the room rigged with cameras and reporters. Lex would never forget Edge's face as the bailiffs dragged him away. Lionel's teenage friend and crime accomplice had looked daggers at Lex and had to be restrained as he screamed foul play and tried to convince his legal team he'd been tricked into confessing. The expensive lawyers had looked at their client as if he had suddenly lost his mind; no firm would take a case for an appeal which was as good as lost from the onset. Not even the best shark in the business would be able to convince a jury of Edge's innocence or get a mistrial or a dismissal due to insufficient evidence after his confession. If the middle-aged man had sat down and shut his mouth when the lead counsellor had urged him, there might have been something to salvage; but the man had given too many details and provided the DA office with too much ammunition to stop what he had coming.

"So, what does it feel like?" asked Bruce at the bottom of LuthorCorp's plane steps.

"Like a true beginning," replied Lex, thinking today's proceedings must have reminded his former boarding-school friend of the day Falconi had Joe Chill murdered and deprived the Wayne heir of the privilege of avenging his parents' death.

"Does she know?" added Gotham's billionaire when Chloe reached the top of the steps and entered the Lear Jet.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be clearer, Bruce."

"Did you tell her about Mxyzptlk's role in that courtroom?"

"I won't ask you how you got that information. You've never been a fool and I won't start treating you like one. I haven't told her about the deal I made with him if that's what you're asking, but she knows."

"Doesn't the fact someone can read you so easily make you uncomfortable?"

"I won't be a hypocrite and tell you it doesn't feel scary. We both know what it's like to build a wall around us to keep ourselves safe, Bruce. We're damn good at it and it's helped us survive, but I wouldn't trade what I've found with her for the bottomless void I've been living in. There are still mornings in which I wake up wondering if I haven't dreamed it all, if everything's been just a cruel joke of my father's to mess with me from his grave. The first few days I was afraid of falling asleep to find her gone in the morning. Those days are becoming few and far between. Every day I wake up and find her lying next to me... it's a miracle in itself. And believe me, there have been too many miracles in my life to take this one for granted. God will get tired of me one of these days, so I might as well convince him all his efforts haven't been in vain. Don't you think?"

"She's a jewel and you're one lucky bastard. There aren't many women like her. Not many would be willing to share their lives with men as screwed-up as we are. Are you planning on telling her?"

"She's allowed me to keep this one secret."

"Doesn't she have a sister somewhere?"

"No sisters. Two cousins. One's virtually taken..."

"That means my case isn't lost yet."

"That means if you dare come close to her, Bruce, you'd better get ready for a sharp tongue and a pissed-off reporter-in-training with a lethal punch."

"OK. Maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea. What about the other cousin?"

"You'd need to change all your locks and have your art collection replaced with fake copies. That is unless you want to wake up in the morning a few millions poorer."

"That bad?"

"Let's say Lucy Lane's a feminine version of us without the chequebook."

"A pity you already have a kid and Chloe seems to truly love you. You can count yourself lucky; you'd have had a competitor."

"And you'd have lost," smirked Lex. "She thinks bald men are sexier," he added, starting to climb up the stairs.

"Do you think I'd look that bad without hair?"

"I'm starting to have doubts about doing business with you, Wayne."

"Where would you find a best man capable of putting up with your antics?"

"You'd better shut up before I consider offering Queen Industries a partnership to develop Argus with the military."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, I don't know, Wayne! A partnership with Oliver would be the perfect opportunity to infiltrate his corporation. "

"You're bluffing. You wouldn't risk it now," shouted Bruce as Lex reached the final step, turned around and shot him a mischievous smile.

"Clean your appointment book, Bruce. And don't you dare stand me up at the altar or you'll wish you haven't been born."

"Is that a proposal?" chuckled Gotham's favourite playboy.

"You wish. That's a threat, my friend."

_THE KENT FARM- THE SAME DAY- 7 p.m. _

The flight from Gotham to Smallville's airfield had been uneventful and Chloe had spent most of it dozing after the sleepless night prior to the trial. The nightmare was finally over and they would now be able to focus all their energy on their project for the meteor-infected and on making their relationship official. She was sure they'd make the front page again both on account of their plans for the now dismantled 33.1 and their impending nuptials. Being in the spotlight was part of being a Luthor and she knew she'd have to get used to it. Even though Lex had been doing everything in his power to keep the bloodhounds and paparazzi away from her and Laurie, she was aware they'd be always hanging around and that they'd make their presence felt even more when they realised that Chloe and Lex hadn't been together in that courtroom only to get closure but that they were in love and already had a child. The yellow press would have a field day and would surely flame Lex for getting a seventeen-year-old pregnant and leaving her to her fate. Others would probably focus on the tragedy which had befallen the pair of star-crossed lovers and refer to it as an epic romance. It'd be up to them as a couple not to let the media and the rest of the world interfere with their family life. The following days would be their test of fire and she was looking forward to it.

"Tell me again why I let you talk me into doing this," sighed Lex as she helped Chloe get out of the car.

"Because you've been waiting for this moment for far too long," she smiled softly, hooking her arm through his and leaning against him.

"I still think we could have organised something at the mansion," he huffed as they walked slowly towards the yellow-painted house, watching Laurie disengage herself from Moira's hand to rush to Shelby's encounter.

"Chicken," she chuckled in a low voice.

"Who are you calling a coward? I'm just saying... "

"Jonathan Kent's six feet under, Lex."

"What does Jonathan Kent have to do with anything?"

'Everything,' thought Chloe as she saw a smiling Martha Kent on the front steps of the kitchen kiss Moira on the cheek and crouch down to accept Laurie's hug, squeezing the little body tight. "I know you'd rather be on your own turf tonight and that you hate not being in control, but you have to get this through your thick skull: this isn't a test. You don't have to prove them anything. This is Martha, Lois... and Clark... wanting to share in our moment of deliverance."

Lex couldn't help but remember the little chat he and Bruce had had earlier. It was scary how well Chloe knew him; she could read him like an open book. He'd spent over half of his life perfecting his defence mechanism and she just needed to hear his voice over the phone or to look at his profile to know what was going through his mind. Although in the past he'd have just clammed up, now he experienced a feeling he'd thought he'd never know- that of being important enough to have someone worry about his well-being. The miracle of being finally loved and accepted for whom he was and not for what he stood for was worth any momentary feeling of inadequacy.

"Come on, sweeties, hurry inside! It's already starting to pour," exclaimed Martha, holding the screen door open for them to step into the house.

"Good evening, Martha," smiled Chloe wide, kissing Clark's mum and entering the warm kitchen, which smelt of freshly baked homemade bread and roasted lamb with organic vegetables.

"Mrs Kent," he greeted her, accepting her warm kiss on the cheek.

"Call me, Martha, Lex," she told him, giving him a brief hug and stepping aside to invite him in.

"It was high time you two put an appearance!" remonstrated Lois. "Mrs K even allowed me to use her oven to bake a cake for the occasion... and Smallville here gave me a hand with the icing."

"I didn't know the mastery of culinary science was amongst your many hidden talents, Clark," murmured Lex with a smirk.

"You'd better stay clear away from the chocolate pie, Lex. Not even your self-healing power would help you this once," mumbled Clark, putting on a fake smile for Lois' benefit.

"Well, in this day and age a man should know his way around the kitchen. I'm sure Lois'll appreciate that," smirked Lex, shooting Clark a sideway glance.

"You too?"

"Pardon?" asked the billionaire with a poker face.

"What is it with everyone lately? There's nothing going on between us," said the farm boy through clenched teeth.

"Smallville, remember what we talked about this afternoon," Lois warned him.

"I haven't done anything wrong," frowned Martha's adoptive son.

"Why do you look like you've been sucking lemons, then? "

"You were saying, Clark?" chuckled Lex ironically.

"I'm starting to reconsider our deal to patch things up," the farmboy glared at him.

"Kids, how about giving us a hand to bring the food to the table?" sighed Moira, holding a dish with crispy vegetables.

"Yes, you too, Lex. Uncork this bottle of wine and stop teasing Clark or you'll sleep alone in your den tonight," Chloe chided her daughter's father with a playful gentle nudge as she passed by him with a bowl of salad in her hands.

"You were saying, Lex?" Clark hid a mischievous smile.

"We're two to five. How about joining forces, Clark? I think we'd stand a better chance," Lex told him, trying to keep a straight face when his eyes met Chloe's mirthful ones across the room.

"Did you hear your husband-to-be, Chloe? He's encouraging a revolt," Lois set down a couple of bread baskets on the table as everyone approached to take their places.

"Moira, you sit here opposite Lois," Martha butted in starting to assign the seats.

"Hey, Laurie, come sit next to Cousin Lois," said the General's daughter.

"I'll sit next to daddy," answered the girl gravely, taking Lex's hand.

"I'll promise you a big slice of chocolate pie after dinner," smiled Lois.

"Mm," Laurie shook her head.

"Wise girl," chuckled Clark.

"Chloe, would you mind...?" sighed Martha.

"Of course not," replied the blonde reporter, taking the seat between Lois and Clark."Anything to prevent further bloodshed before dessert."

"Lex, sweetheart," added the senator when the bald billionaire looked at the only two remaining places at the table with indecisiveness, "sit at the head."

"Mrs... Martha, I... This was Mr Kent's place. I couldn't... It should be Clark's now," he stammered.

"That seat has remained vacant for far too long," she replied, locking her gaze with her adoptive son's. "The head of the table's always meant to be for the head of a family. And until Clark decides to settle down and give me a grandchild... "

"I could sit next to Clark, and Laurie could sit at the head..."

"Mom's right, Lex," Clark interrupted him. "This is a special occasion. It's time we put behind our differences."

"Jonathan could be hard-headed at times, but I know he'd be pleased to see the life and family you have with Chloe now," added Martha with clear emotion in her voice.

Lex felt the knot in his throat grow bigger and a treacherous mist start to cloud his eyes. This was what he'd always dreamt of- having a family he could call his own and being accepted and invited to sit at the Kents' table to share a meal and a friendly chat. He'd given up hope a long time ago. Despite what Martha'd just said and how much he appreciated her warm words, he doubted Jonathan Kent would have been thrilled to see a Luthor sitting at his table. However, Chloe was right, the insurmountable roadblock that had been the head of the Kent family was no more and Lex found in Martha a renewed ally and in Clark's olive branch a reason to have faith in the real possibility of rebuilding the friendship which had been undermined by secrets, lies and second-guessing. This was a new chance for everyone involved and Lex appreciated that this once he wasn't the only one making an effort to meet one another halfway. For the first time in his life, he felt alone no more.

"How about taking that seat now, Luthor?" asked Lois, cocking an eyebrow after discreetly stashing away the tissue she'd used to wipe away a stray tear. "I'm starving and Mrs K's lamb is getting cold."

"Careful, Lane. I'm carving," replied Lex, seizing the knife."What do you think, Laurie? Should we give your cousin Lois a smaller serving?"

"I vote for sending her to bed without dinner. Hey! That hurt, Lois!" exclaimed Clark, when a big breadcrumb hit him on his forehead.

"Tsk, tsk, Miss Lane. Is that behaviour fitting for a grown-up woman who's interning for The Planet and dreams of becoming part of its permanent staff?" asked Lex gravely.

"Oh, bite me, Luthor!" replied Lois, pouring herself a glass of wine.

"You know, I was considering giving you and Clark an exclusive but now... I don't know," he said, passing a plate to Martha's son. "What do you think, Chloe, should we give it to Clark alone?"

"What exclusive?" Lois perked up. "And why are you asking Chloe for permission? Don't tell me you two got hitched without inviting your family?"

"Of course not. After having to hide for so long, I'd have never done that to Chloe," frowned Lex.

"Don't worry, Lo'. Our wedding shopping spree is still up," chuckled Chloe.

"So if it isn't the wedding of the century, what is it?" insisted Lois.

"We'll leave that for dessert," smiled Chloe, locking eyes with Lex.

"Spoilsport. Can't you give us a hint?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise then, would it?" intervened Clark.

"You two haven't been ... " began Lois, shooting a glance at Laurie, "baking, right? You know... bun in the oven?" she cocked an eyebrow.

"Lois!" exclaimed Clark, blushing while Moira and Martha tried not to choke with their wine.

"Mommy bakes co'nut cookies," piped the little girl pinching a carrot. And the whole table burst into laughter drawing a Sullivan smile on Laurie's face, who remained oblivious to what the adults had been discussing.

Dinner at the Kents had been an unforgettable experience and Lex couldn't help but wonder when he'd wake up to find out it'd all been a dream. Otherwise how could the friendly atmosphere and the laughs shared over meal be explained? Maybe a miracle or two called Chloe and Laurie.

"Would you mind if I joined you?" Moira asked her future son-in-law, who was watching the light rain fall standing on the veranda of the Kents' farm house.

"Of course not, Mrs Sullivan," he smiled softly as she closed the front door quietly, muffling the chatting voices and the laughs coming from the living room.

"There's no need to stand on ceremony, Lex; we're almost officially family now. Call me Moira, please."

"OK. Moira it is."

"Your mind seemed to be a million miles away when I stepped out. Is everything all right?"

"Have you ever felt so well that you couldn't help but expect for someone to rain on your parade? "

"I know the feeling... "

"Tell me you didn't use your powers on anyone in there," replied he, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"For me to be able to do that there had to be meteor infected in the room- you and Chloe wouldn't count. Besides, what good would I have done to both of you if I had? I want my daughter to enjoy what I had to give up, friends included. And I've learnt along the way that what starts with a lie is doomed to end in the worst possible way."

"You can't blame me for having doubts."

"I know about your strained relationship with Clark and also about some of your unwise decisions while Chloe was away. However, I also used to know your father and suffered his deviousness on the flesh. I'm a pretty good judge of character and although I realise you're constantly waging a war inside yourself to keep your darkness in check, I can see the man you are in your acts. You love my daughter and your baby too much to let that part of you win. I didn't have the pleasure of meeting your mom, but Martha had and she says she was a beautiful person. You're a lot more than Lionel Luthor's son. God has His mysterious ways... I can understand your pain at losing Lillian when you were still a child, and I'm sure it must have hurt her to have to leave you when you needed her the most just as it hurt me to have to give up my Chloe. And yet, it's up to us to make our losses and our pain our strength. You were lucky to have had her in your life- if only for a few years- and the fact that she's still so present in your thoughts shows what an indelible impression she left on your soul. That is the man these people are seeing when they look at you around Chloe and my granddaughter."

"Thanks," he told her in a voice charged with emotion. "It means a lot to me to hear you say that after what my family's put yours through. I promise you I'll do everything in my power to make Chloe happy."

"I'm sure you will. My daughter's very special, as special as yours is; they'll be your rock, Lex. I'm so pleased to see my baby finally at peace. I want to thank you for letting me stay at the mansion to reacquaint myself with Chloe. You had more than enough grounds to keep her and Laurie all to yourself after what happened."

"You are her mother, Moira. I would give the world to have the chance Chloe's had to be reunited with mine."

"I talked with a couple of realtors in Metropolis," she said after a brief pause.

"You know you can stay with us as long as you want. I'll give you free rein with the guesthouse."

"You're very generous. But you're both about to begin your life as a married couple, a life for which you waited too long. I wouldn't like to be a third wheel. I won't vanish though; I'll come to visit you and my granddaughter and... About your surprise... I'd really like to be part of it."

"I wouldn't like anything better. Have you talked to Chloe about it?"

"I told her this morning. I think what you're doing is something you both should be proud of. "

"Sorry for interrupting," coughed Clark from the threshold. "You're wanted for the cake and the toast."

"Then we'd better step inside," smiled Moira, squeezing Lex's forearm gently before walking past the farmboy.

"Would that be Lois' chocolate pie?" asked Lex, still sitting on the veranda.

"I'm afraid so. Stick to the champagne and mom's truffles unless you want to risk a night leaning over the toilet bowl."

"I wouldn't like to hurt her feelings. You should remember she's Chloe's maid-of-honour and God only knows what kind of revenge she might come up with. I won't risk my wedding over a piece of chocolate pie."

"Yeah... I know what you mean... Grab the plate then. I'll think of something to make it disappear..." grinned Clark.

"At least I know now what to give you for a wedding present."

"Uh?" frowned the Kryptonian.

"A crash course in cooking. When you two tie the knot you'll appreciate it," smirked the billionaire.

"What do I have to say to make you believe there's nothing going on between Lois and I?"

"You've never been able to lie convincingly, least of all to me, Clark. That was the beginning and the crux of our breach, remember? All that cat and mouse routine between you two over dinner? It's nothing but foreplay. You could be as lucky as I am, Clark. Don't let what happened with Lana destroy your chances of a fulfilling love life. Lois isn't her; she'd never toy with your feelings."

"Why bring her up now?" Jonathan's adoptive son asked gravely.

"Because I know you, Clark. I too let myself be seduced by that mirage; but that's all it was. She would have ended up isolating you even more than you already are, and she'd have found ways to make you feel guilty for it. You're better off with her in France. "

"She sent me a postcard from Provence last week," confessed Clark quietly.

"Forget her, Clark."

"You paid for her tickets and the villa, right?"

"Ticket. It was a small price to pay to have her out of our lives for good. Maybe she'll find her match there," he clarified."Let's join the others, shall we?" he added, straightening up and walking towards the front door.

"Lex?" Clark stopped him.

"Yes?"

"Moira's right. You should be proud of what you and Chloe are doing with this school project. Is there a chance I might be allowed to be part of it?"

"Wouldn't that go against your need to preserve your identity a secret?"

"It'd be tricky, but I'm sure I can think of something."

"A front? An alter ego?"

"You might say that," replied Clark sheepishly.

"By the way... about that exclusive. You know I was teasing Lois, right? I wish we could make this project public, especially because of what keeping LuthorCorp stuff secret meant in the past. You do understand the need to keep this quiet, don't you? Neither Chloe nor I want the school to become a media circus; it'd spoil the whole purpose of the project."

"It's a wise call," the farmboy nodded.

"You should be honest with Lois. Chloe and I have a hunch she already suspects something. It'd be a shame to see you lose someone who really cares about you over a lie. Follow the advice of someone who's been there: Don't repeat the same mistakes," finished Lex, stepping back into the Kents' dining room.

"Oh, there you are at last!" exclaimed Lois.

Clark looked at her with a smile which wasn't forced for once. Maybe it was time he imitated Lex and tried to put his past behind too. It was time to toast new beginnings.

"Let's uncork the champagne, shall we?" he told Martha, who was eying him with a proud motherly look on her face.


	26. Strategist

**CHAPTER 26: **Strategist

_RAWLINGS' DEPARTMENT STORES- METROPOLIS- A FORTNIGHT LATER_

Two weeks had gone by since their first family dinner at the Kents and Chloe was now in a whirl. When she'd insisted she didn't want a wedding planner or a shopping trip to Paris to get Chanel or some famous couturier design her gown, she'd believed she'd be able to keep things small and quiet. Nothing could be further from the madhouse she was living in.

Lex was being more than accommodating; he'd already lived through two fairytale-weddings-turned-nightmares and he remembered going over the top with all the arrangements for both of them. He wanted their wedding to be perfect and, although he had to fight against his controlling nature, he knew that Chloe would never let him live it down if he went overboard with the whole affair. Better leave everything in her hands and wait on the fringes for her to ask him to help if she couldn't handle something, which he doubted she'd ever do- they were both too stubborn to admit defeat when they found themselves way over-their-heads.

"So... have you made up your mind about the stationery you'd like for the invitations?" asked Lois, picking up a deep red wasp-waisted corset.

"I'm leaving that to Mom. I could no longer put up with the stench of recycled paper and that obnoxious woman trying to guilt-trip me about the deforestation of the Amazon and every rainforest on Earth so that I could have my invitations printed on paper that didn't smell like a pair of sweaty sneakers," she grumbled, checking out the nightgowns.

"How about this one?" said Lois, cocking an eyebrow as she lifted the corset for Chloe to see. "You can get red net stockings to go with it."

"Lois, I'm not a ten-thousand-dollar hooker and, believe me, I don't need to wear something like that to put him in the mood," she snickered, going over the baby dolls.

"I so didn't need that image in my mind."

"Then you should have stayed in the apartment to revise for tomorrow's partial. Choosing lingerie for one's wedding night is supposed to be personal after all," frowned Chloe, hanging back a pink satin baby doll.

"I just wanted to give you something as a present. Cue ball's paying for everything I'll be wearing to the ceremony and the reception. I won't even pay for the hairdo and the manicure... You know I'll never have a chance to do something like this for Lucy, Chlo'..."

"I'm sorry, Lo'. I didn't want to brush you off. Cheer up! How about having a look at that corset in black?"

"Ah, so instead of racy you'll go for naughty," smiled the eldest cousin, fishing for another corset. "Here it is."

"Well, I was actually thinking of giving it to you as a gift. I'd pay it with my own money not to make you feel uncomfortable though. I'd like to be a fly on the wall to see Clark's face if he saw you dressed only in that. He wouldn't know what to do," chuckled the blonde reporter."What?" she smiled mischievously. "Lois, is there something you aren't telling me?"

"I'll check out the camisoles over there," blurted Lois, trying to make an escape to avoid her third degree.

", Missy," Chloe shook her head, and pulled her by the sleeve to stop her. "Spill."

"There's nothing to spill," protested Lois.

"And elephants fly," snorted the blonde cousin. "It's me- Chloe, investigative reporter. I might be a mom and a stressed-out bride-to-be, but my instincts and my sleuth nose have never failed me. Something's happened between you and Clark."

"Take this..." sighed the eldest cousin, thrusting into Chloe's arms a long emerald satin nightgown with a seductive slit and pushing her into a changing room.

"So... " insisted Chloe, unbuttoning her blouse. "You're blushing."

"I'm not! I... OK... We kissed," she confessed, checking out the price tag on the sleepwear.

"It must have been one hell of a kiss to have you blush and stutter like that," chuckled Chloe, stepping out of her skirt.

"Well... we kissed more than once... and then we ... He..."

"Heeee?" smirked Chloe, encouraging her to go on.

"You know what? It doesn't matter what happened. He wasn't himself... It was that damn lipstick I'd bought at the fair," she replied with a suspiciously trembling voice. "You look gorgeous in this. You should take it."

"Yeah, it looks sexy and romantic without being sluttish. Lipstick? Now, I'm more intrigued..."

"It was really strange. One minute we were arguing and the next..."

_LEX'S STUDY- LUTHOR MANSION- EVENING_

"... Oliver walked on Clark and Lois to find them half-dressed. And it seems he got the wrong impression... because he tried to separate them and got a mean uppercut. He lost two teeth and needed a few stitches," explained Chloe as she slipped the last invitation inside an envelope and added it to the neat pile they'd have hand-delivered. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she added with a smile when she noticed the slight tilt of Lex's lip.

"It was high time someone punched him for meddling in other people's business. No broken ribs?"

"I wonder what you would have wished for him if he'd tried to step between you and me instead of Clark and Lois," she cocked an eyebrow.

"He'd have woken up to see Queen Industries' shares plummet for starters. Now, let's go back to the aspiring Pulitzer Prizes. Not that I'm not glad they've finally accepted what was in front of their eyes, but... " asked Lex, leaning back on his swivel chair,"why am I getting the feeling their coming together was somehow worthy of your Wall of Weird?"

"What's given you that impression?"

"That sparkle in your eyes I haven't seen in a long while," he smirked.

"Lois and I did some digging after we came back from Metropolis. It seems the lipstick she was wearing was made of... some concoction meant to transform men in sex slaves."

"Pheromones?" frowned Lex, remembering Desirée Atkins.

"Dejà vu?"

"When the effect wore off, it was like waking up from a hellish nightmare."

"Well, even _you_ would agree Lois is nothing like the first murderous Mrs Luthor. Unfortunately, your thick-headed friend has been avoiding Lois like the plague and my cousin has convinced herself Clark feels nothing special for her and that he'd have never given her the light of day without some chemical inducement."

"Why is it that he is _my _friend all of a sudden? I was under the impression he was as much my friend as _yours_."

"Well, I don't like him that much at this moment," she said grimly.

"Does that mean I've also done something wrong to rouse your fury?"

"Of course not! I'm just... I'm... exhausted... I have a ton of things to do... And now I have one more thing to worry about... I... I hate seeing my cousin hurting and crying in the corners, pretending everything's fine while Clark's repeating his same old routine. I... " she vented, walking up and down the Aubousson carpet in front of Lex's desk.

"Come here," he interrupted her as he stood up and grabbed her gently by the hand. "Breathe," he told her, holding her gaze and smoothing his hands down her arms in a soothing motion.

"I'm breathing," she said stubbornly trying to deny stress was catching up on her.

"Oh, yes. You're consuming half the oxygen in the room," replied Lex ironically." You're hyperventilating, Love."

"Tell me again why we can't elope alla Gretna Green," sighed she.

"I have to confess Scotland does sound a lot more alluring than an express wedding in Vegas. If it's what you want, it can be arranged. "

"Why do you have to take everything I say literally, Lex? Gretna Green, and especially flying everyone there- don't put on that I'd-never-suggest-something-like-that face- would fall into the category of going over the top that I've opposed to since we started planning this wedding."

"OK. We'll put off Gretna Green until it's time for us to renew our vows."

Chloe could feel butterflies in her stomach and wondered when she'd become this sappy romantic young woman who could melt at the drop of a hat- Lex's hat that is.

"You can count on that," she smiled slowly as he held her by the waist to bring her closer to him.

"Have I told you lately how much you mean to me, Chloe?" he asked huskily.

"I got a hint," she murmured, standing on tiptoe to snake her arms around his neck and open to the gentle assault of his lips and talented tongue.

"Better now?" he asked her slightly breathless, resting his forehead on hers.

"You certainly know how to treat a lady. Yes, I'm better and a little dizzy, you smug man," she replied, pushing him playfully on the chest. "I panicked a little back there."

"It's understandable. I remember how stressful it was to have to deal just with the decision concerning what cake and sweets to serve at the reception, and you've got a lot more to tackle with. That's why I've always used the services of a wedding planner. You know, it isn't too late to hire one."

"What? A month before the ceremony? No," she shook her head." I appreciate the offer and I know you mean well, but what would I tell Martha, Jerry's fiancée and everyone who's on board?"

"Then, let me worry about the elusive farm boy."

"What are you going to do?" she frowned.

"Do you trust me? "

"I trust you won't do anything that might hurt me and that means Lois by extension. Now if you need torture Clark a little bit, I'm all for it," she smiled mischievously.

"Oh, you can bet I will! Nothing that might jeopardise our renewed friendship, but something which will make him squirm a little bit," he smirked.

_THE DAILY PLANET- THE FOLLOWING MORNING_

Things had been uncomfortably quiet between Clark and Lois for over a week; to be more precise, ever since their dancing around the evident attraction which existed between them gave way to a full-steam collision thanks to the red kryptonite-laced lipstick she'd bought at Smallville's fair. Although Clark couldn't remember exactly what they'd had done or what had been said, he had the unsettling feeling in his gut they'd taken things a little too far; he could see it in the way Lois looked at him when she thought he wasn't watching. In fact, if it hadn't been for Oliver's broken teeth and swollen face which had put the billionaire on the alert as to what could have driven the mild-mannered farm boy to turn so violent and possessive all of a sudden, Martha wouldn't have intervened and used green kryptonite on her son while Lois went all Florence Nightingale on the blond scion. Were it not for that miraculous intervention, they might have been already married and frolicking in Vegas much like he'd done with Alicia once upon a time.

Yes, Clark couldn't recall in detail what had happened between him and the General's daughter, but what he did remember was the rage which had consumed him when Oliver walked on them in the barn and tried to separate them. However, what scared him the most was the fact that even now, when he wasn't under the influence, the idea of her preferring someone else aroused irrational jealousy in him. It was funny how in a matter of a few months what he'd thought was the love of his life dwarfed when compared to the feelings he was experiencing around Lois. He'd had the intention of following Lex's advice and going for what he wanted, but not at so fast a pace. He knew he was being provincial and maybe a tad immature by dodging the issue and pretending nothing had happened. He was cowardly waiting for her to bring it up in case his feverish mind had made it all up and he ended up making a fool.

"Lane, the chief wants to see you at the board room stat," barked one of the assistant editors.

"It must be important for him to have sent Gregory downstairs," stated Clark as soon as the balding reporter stepped out of the office.

"I'll see what Pearson wants and go home. My head's exploding. Would you mind shutting down my computer on your way out?" she replied, picking up her trench coat and her bag.

"Sure. No problem. Lois?"

"Yes?" she stopped at the door.

"Nothing... Take care. See you tomorrow morning."

_THE DAILY PLANET- BOARD ROOM- FIVE MINUTES LATER_

Lois wondered how long it'd take for her to break down. She'd always been very good at pretending things were peachy even when her world was crumbling down around her, and there was only one person who could see through her, her cousin Chloe. The blonde had realised what was wrong with her and had tried to cheer her up, saying Clark was either scared to death because things had got too serious too soon or that he had no memory of what had happened. Lois had got burnt several times in the romantic arena and she wasn't ready to be the one to make the first move only to find out he didn't feel the same. Chloe seemed to believe Clark was just being stubborn and that her feelings weren't unrequited...

"Ah, Lane! It was high time you showed your face," exclaimed Pearson interrupting her musings.

"Good afternoon, Chief. I came as soon as Mr Gregory informed me you wanted to see me," she replied with a barely disguised tilt in her voice which signalled her curiosity on seeing the other man present in the room.

"Well, you seem to have made quite an impression on the new management with your ongoing investigation on Metropolis' mayor," added the Editor-in-chief.

"How do you do, Miss Lane," the new owner came out of the shadows to greet a suddenly speechless Lois.

_LEX'S OFFICE AT LUTHORCORP PLAZA- FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING _

"Tell Jerry and her fiancée to cancel their reservations at the inn. There are more than enough empty rooms in the mansion for them to choose from... I'm glad... I talked with Father Michaelson before coming to Metropolis this morning. The final rehearsal will be in three days," said Lex with a tired smile as he leant back on his swivel chair."I can't wait either," he added in a husky voice, getting up from the seat to pour himself a tall glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice. "Yes, we have to think of something special to give them both. A day at the most exclusive spa in Metropolis, maybe?"

Lex regretted the fact that Lillian wasn't there to see their child grow up, and yet he thanked for having both Martha and Moira in their life; they were the best grandmothers they could have wished for Laura. And this evening they were babysitting and letting them have a night all to themselves.

"Yes, I'll be home around six," he told her, turning around to see Clark peeking into the office as he held one of the acid-etched glass doors ajar."Come in, Clark," he signalled to the farm boy, covering the receiver. "Chloe, I've got to hang up. There's a matter which requires my attention now. Is there anything you might want me to do for you before I leave Metropolis? OK. Me too. Bye."

"I'm sorry," apologised Clark once Lex'd hung up." Your secretary told me it was your lunch break and that you'd told her to let me in when I arrived,"

"It's all right, Clark. I was just going over some details with Chloe," smirked the billionaire."So, you're ready for the final fitting of your tux?"

"Yes," he replied absent-mindedly while fiddling with a paper knife on Lex's desk.

"Is everything OK, Clark? You seem somewhat distracted. What's bothering you?"

"What can you tell me about the new owner of The Daily Planet?"

_Lex, has anyone ever doubted you're a genius?_

_LUTHOR MANSION- MASTER BEDROOM- LATER IN THE EVENING_

"Yes, he is, isn't he? I swear to you I didn't know what he'd planned... You'd better be back in time for the wedding, Lo'... How did the final fitting go? I was half-tempted to change it for that pink meringue we saw modelled for us," chuckled Chloe as she kicked off her pumps. "You'll make a dashing couple... " she smiled at Lex when she saw him cock an eyebrow and start to unbutton his shirt. "When will you be getting back? I can't wait for you to make your grand entrance... Yes, it might be the oldest trick in a girl's bag... not that Lex's anything but manly but you get my drill... A girl's got to do what she's got to do, Lo', especially when dealing with a thick-headed farm boy. I told you I was right... Lex said he must be getting desperate to resort to his aid instead of Oliver's. Well, after sending him to the ER is understandable... In any case he must see Queen as the competition... Well, Clark doesn't know the real reason behind your being there. Get tanned and enjoy the company... He's agreed to it? Good luck with that one. I know the type... I've got one at home..." she laughed, seeing Lex's puzzled look on his face out of the corner of her eye. "He's there too? Oh, he's a dearie. I tried to convince Lex to bribe the man to come with us. OK... see you in five days. Of course we'll behave," she added with a mischievous grin as Lex wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and nuzzled her neck.

"So how's she liking the arrangements? And what's that about knowing the type?" murmured he in her ear as soon as she finished the call.

"The new owner of The Daily Planet?" she asked ironically.

"I thought I could kill two birds with a stone. Now nobody can accuse me of nepotism."

"But now she knows that you pulled your strings to get them in. Aren't you afraid she'll tell Clark?"

"I might have helped open the doors for them. However, I also told Pearson he could either have them pour coffee and serve muffins or terminate their internship whenever he saw fit if he considered they didn't have what it takes. I made it abundantly clear I wouldn't bear it against him. Lois has more than proven her worth with her research on the mayor. And something tells me she won't sell me out; not when she might need my help in the future. And, I'm sure she'll get herself in enough scrapes to require my aid."

"You're one hell of a strategist. Now... I'm curious... how did you get to convince _him_?"

"Oh, that's a story I'll keep to myself for a few more days. What do you say if we get you out of these clothes, Mrs-Luthor-to-be?" he asked huskily.

_LEX'S OFFICE- LUTHORCORP PLAZA- THE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING_

It was Lex's last day as a bachelor; a status he was sure he'd never come back to because this marriage would be forever. He couldn't remember ever being this happy. Yes, happy; he could no longer use the word _satisfied_, not when the woman in his life was Chloe and he finally had the family he'd always wished for and thought he'd never be blessed with. Even though he knew it'd take time for society to change its perception of him- if that day ever arrived- he felt strong now when facing the world which had always been hostile to him no matter how hard he'd tried to make everyone see the apple could fall far from the tree. Disillusionment and pain had eventually led him to prove the world right for a while, but Chloe, Laura and the loving safe net his future wife had stubbornly and painstakingly helped him build around them had convinced him he could still be the man Lillian had tried to raise and, at the same time, be loved for his shortcomings and yes, even despite his dark side. There was no longer the ghost of Lionel and his unattainable love and acceptance; that ever-consuming angst provoked by the feeling he'd never be worthy enough.

Today he was going to close another chapter of his recent past and try to show an old enemy that there was still a Luthor who knew the meaning of honour and promises.

"Lex," the Queen heir greeted him as the Luthorcorp assistant went back to her chores.

"Oliver. Take a seat, please," replied Lex, resuming his position behind the glass and chrome desk.

"I have to say your assistant's call caught me unawares," confessed the blond scion, sitting down.

"We have some unfinished business," Lex told him gravely, opening the top drawer and taking a big manila envelope, which he pushed across the desk.

"What's this?" frowned his former boarding-school classmate, grabbing it.

"Go ahead and open it," he prompted him, getting up from his swivel chair to walk to the wet bar. "Shall I pour you something? I'm afraid it's got to be non-alcoholic. Now I only drink alcohol at dinner or on special occasions."

"I'm fine, Lex. Thanks," Oliver dismissed his offer, emptying the contents of the envelope on the desktop.

"Afraid I might poison you?" he asked with an ironic smirk, taking a sip of bottled spring water.

"Somehow I don't think you'd run the risk of losing the faith in you of the one woman who seems to be equipped to put up with your insufferable self," he told Lex with his eyes focused on the pictures and the mini-discs scattered on the desk."Why are you giving me this now?"

"It seems you're not only a smug busybody; you've got a very short memory span. I promised I'd hand you over every single frame of yours dressed in your parrot-coloured spandex."

"What's the catch?"

"There's none, Oliver. Take it as proof that I'm a man of my word. Let's leave our battles for the business arena, shall we?" suggested LuthorCorp's CEO, stretching out an arm for a handshake.

"OK, I can live with that. I'll be watching you though," answered Oliver, shaking hands briefly.

"And I you," said Lex smugly.

"So... tomorrow's the big day."

"Yes, it is. I'm sorry you weren't invited. It'd be insulting to pretend your invitation got lost in the mail."

"If I'd got one, I'd have wondered whether Armageddon hadn't arrived."

"Your dentist's done a great job by the way. You were lucky you didn't need a nose job," smirked the bald billionaire.

"You must have enjoyed it."

"Oh, you have no idea!" chuckled he.

"Well, I'd better not overextend my visit; that is unless there's something else you want to discuss."

"No, that'd be all."

"Oh, I almost forgot! I also have something for you," added the leaguer, taking an envelope from his inside pocket and handing it over to him.

Lex took the proffered stationery with a questioning look and proceeded to open it. Taking the enclosed item out of the envelope, he could barely disguise the emotional impact of getting a pristine #127 issue of Warrior Angel from his school nemesis; the very same issue a teenage Oliver had taken from his hands and Duncan's at Excelsior and ripped in half while he mocked both best friends. Although Oliver's apology came ten years too late, he had to give the guy props for the effort; for a fraction of a second Lex was tempted to stop the ball he'd set in motion.

"Even?"

_Almost. _

"It's a start," conceded Lex, knowing Oliver would understand when the time came. They were the rules of the game. And corporative games were the only thing they'd ever have between them. Oliver was not Clark and Luthor blood still ran through Lex's veins; and there were some things which couldn't be as easily forgotten and wounds which weren't as easily healed.


	27. THE Fates Found a Way

**CHAPTER 27:** The Fates Found a Way

_LUTHOR MANSION-11 a.m.- THE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING_

The Luthor castle was a flurry of activity as everything was being set for the great day. Even though Lex was a wedding-pro by now, nothing could compare to the exhilaration and the nerves he was experiencing because this wouldn't be just another wedding. It'd be the second happiest moment of his life, right there with the overwhelming discovery he was the father of Chloe's child. This time he knew the vows made by the bride would be heartfelt and that their love and commitment to each other and their family would be forever.

"Nervous?" asked the thunderous voice belonging to General Lane.

"General," Lex greeted him, shaking hands in the foyer as Jerry's fiancée, a petite brunette with the energy of a small platoon, fleeted by giving directions to the florists and orders to the assistants she'd brought along to decorate the ballroom for the reception.

"We'll be legally family in less than twenty-four hours, Lex. And I'm the closest thing you'll get to a father-in-law. You might as well call me Sam."

A few months ago Lex would have turned down the man's request in a heartbeat; the wounds would have still been too fresh and he doubted he'd have been able to see the General as anyone other than the man who had kept his two girls away from him.

"You don't mind my being part of this, do you?" added Lois' dad.

"I only want for Chloe to be the happiest of brides. I wish Gabe had been here to give us his blessing... so I truly appreciate your walking Chloe down the aisle in his place... I know it means a lot to her..."

"I wouldn't have missed this for the world. She's always been my favourite niece..."

"And your _only_ niece," butted in Moira. "Why don't you come and give me a hand with the marquee brigade? I think it's a job for which you're cut out, Sam. Lex, I've just shown Clark to the conservatory. I thought he'd come to pick up Martha but he asked to see you instead."

"Kent?" Lane frowned.

Lex saw the barely disguised animosity reflected on the General's face and visualised himself in the man's shoes fifteen or sixteen years from now. Lane and his eldest daughter might have some rocky history and yet the young tycoon knew that the army brat would remain the tough man's baby girl forever. If anyone ever dared break Laurie's heart or make her suffer he was convinced he would be as ready as the General to have the culprit's head on a platter.

Clark could be really dense and indecisive when it came to dealing with the opposite sex, and Lex was convinced that a large portion of his hesitance had to do with his secret. The same secret he himself had been obsessed with for years and which had almost broken up their friendship forever.

"I've got it under control," stated Lex with a no-nonsense tone in his voice, resting a hand on the General's arm to stop him. "Trust me," he smiled smugly. "I'd rather you gave me a hand with your leadership experience out there in the garden. I've got a zillion things to see to, and I promised Chloe there would be no conference calls and no LuthorCorp business beyond noon."

"Come on, Sam," urged him Moira gently.

A pregnant silence and an exchanged look between both men was all it took to settle the matter.

_Well, Clark, my friend. I've just saved your skin today. I hope you'll be wise and do the right thing tomorrow. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't like to have an irate General Lane for an enemy, least of all if he were to become my father-in-law._

_LUTHOR MANSION- PLAYROOM- 11.30 a.m._

"O...K..." murmured Martha, taking the scissors and cutting a thread as she finished taking in the body of the little dress and shortening the hem."That's it, sweetie. Now, give me a twirl!"

"Wait!" exclaimed the sprite, fetching a delicate wreath of baby's breath which she put on her head with Luthorlike concentration in front of the full-length mirror.

With a full-blown Sullivan smile Laurie made a graceful twirl in her white dress, the ends of the emerald sash flowing in the wind.

"You look like a little princess," said Clark's mum warmly when the girl stopped spinning with a childish giggle.

"Will Daddy like it? "asked the girl in a small voice, sobering all of a sudden.

"How couldn't he like it? It's a beautiful dress. And even if you were wearing your muddy overalls after playing with Pirate in the garden he'd love them, because you're his baby girl."

"Martha," whispered Laurie, focusing her blue-grey eyes on her shiny pair of patent leather Mary Janes.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I'm not supposed to tell... It's a secret..."

"Oh! You know, keeping secrets can be very hard at times. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"I promised..."

"That's OK. Promises made to a friend or someone who's important to you should be honoured. Can I ask you something?"

"Mm," nodded the child.

"Is this a secret your Daddy shouldn't know about? Are you afraid that if he learns about it he won't love you anymore?"

Martha saw the blue-grey eyes so like Lex's get brighter as they started to fill up with tears.

"Come here, sweetie," said the woman warmly and saw the little girl rush to her with trembling lips."You love your Daddy a lot, don't you?"

"Mm," came the girl's muffled reply.

"Do you think you'd stop loving him if he made a mistake sometime or if you found out something about him he didn't tell you? You wouldn't, right? I understand how you're feeling... but you should always remember one thing. No matter what happens... you'll never stop being your Daddy's special girl and he'll always love you. Nothing and no one will fill that corner that's yours in his heart. That'll never change. "

Martha cuddled the small child sitting on her lap and wondered if her woman's intuition had been right once again.

_LAURIE'S BEDROOM- 8 p.m._

Lex closed the book as he finished reading aloud the bedtime story which had always been his daughter's favourite. This evening she'd been unusually quiet during their special time together and he couldn't help but wonder if in their wish to bind their lives together forever they hadn't been selfish and rushed Laurie into something she wasn't yet prepared for.

"Laurie baby, you know you can tell me anything, right? Are you OK with Mommy and I getting married? I know that we three talked about it, but maybe you didn't say anything because you thought it might upset Mom. Don't be afraid to tell me what you feel. You know you and Mommy are the most important people in the world to me and that I don't like seeing you sad or worried. I only want you to be happy," he explained softly as he brushed a few blonde hairs off the child's forehead and caressed her white, porcelain cheek.

"I've got my dress. Martha says I look like a princess," she whispered.

"I'm sure you do, Baby. I can't wait to see it," he smiled.

"Can't show it now. It's bad luck," she frowned.

Lex knew she must have overheard Chloe, Moira , Jerry's fiancée and Martha talk about the wedding gown and how he wasn't supposed to see it before the ceremony. Laurie must have thought the tradition included the flower girl's dress and, of course, he wasn't about to burst her bubble when it was evident it meant a lot to her. This gave him hope that maybe he'd been wrong and that it wasn't their marriage the reason why she seemed to be worried.

"I understand. It's better this way. It'll be a surprise. So... you're excited about tomorrow?"

"Mm," she nodded.

"We aren't leaving you behind. You're coming with us to Tuscany on our honeymoon, remember? I promised you, and I never break a promise."

Even though Moira had offered to take care of the girl during their absence, neither of them had wanted their daughter to feel left out, not when her world had been so much shaken up in the recent past. They both feared she might think they were abandoning her never to come back.

"Can we take Pirate with us?"

Lex wanted to say yes. He would say yes willingly to anything the girl asked of him to see her smile, but he knew Chloe would never let him live it down and no matter how much he wanted to spoil his baby rotten, he knew it wasn't the healthiest way to raise a child and he was committed to be the best father he could ever be.

"This has to be a family decision, so we'll talk it over with Mommy, OK? You know that it's a long trip and that we have to think about what's best for Pirate too. Remember that Martha and Clark have offered to have him on the farm. Shelby'll be there..."

"Do you think she'll remember him?"

"Of course, she will," he replied reassuringly. "Are you afraid she won't care for him now?"

_LUTHOR MANSION- LEX AND CHLOE'S MASTER BEDROOM- 11:55 p.m._

Chloe was finishing drying after a relaxing salt-scented bath when she heard the door of their bedroom close and Lex walk to the dresser to take out a pair of pyjamas. Through the bathroom door, which she had left ajar, she could see his back as he started to remove the cufflinks and unbutton the light blue shirt with graceful movements.

She slipped on her nightdress and, leaving the light of the bathroom on for him, she stepped back into the bedroom.

"It took her longer to fall asleep tonight," said Chloe with a questioning tone in her voice, breaking the strangely tense silence.

Lex raised his gaze and met hers in the mirror as his mind replayed Laurie's answer to his question _Are you afraid she won't care for him now?_ It had taken him by surprise and the cause of the girl's upset had become clear all of a sudden.

"All the excitement and the nerves which have seized the mansion this last week have got to her I'm afraid. She's sleeping peacefully now," he replied with a poker-face. "How was your day?"

"Fine. This will be definitely the last time I get married. I still wonder how you could do it twice before. All these wedding preparations are just too stressful," she sighed, opening the bed and feeling a momentary stab of guilt for putting such unnecessary strain on Laurie by asking her to keep a secret for her. She had every intention of sharing it soon... but...

"Good. I have no intention of seeing you married to anyone but me," he said in a silky voice with a possessiveness which never failed to arouse her despite her independent and rebellious nature.

Chloe could feel the tell-tale signs of desire seize her body as he roamed her curves with hungry and smouldering eyes. He must be aware of the effect his words had on her; her sleepwear might not show too much bare skin but it was thin enough to leave very little to the imagination. And he was smiling that insufferable smug smile of his.

"How did your conversation with Clark go this morning?"

"You don't want to talk about Clark right now, Chloe," he told her huskily as he slipped his hand under her now slightly longer hair and brought their lips together in a hungry kiss.

She had expected their last night as a single couple to be a quiet one under the covers, but it seemed Lex had a different idea and so did her body. It didn't take long for their clothes to disappear and for them to feel the cool sheets under their feverish skin.

"Chloe.." moaned Lex breathless as he sheathed himself in her welcoming warmth and locked his stormy blue-grey eyes with hers.

The rhythm of their lovemaking grew slower and still immensely passionate the minute their bodies became one. There was something different about their coupling this time. It was more than the intensity with which everything had started and the possessiveness she could still see in his eyes as he filled her. It was in the way he held her, which reminded her of the first night they'd made love at the penthouse, and yet there was something else she couldn't identify.

"Lex," she panted, seeking the delicious friction of his languorous pushes by lifting her hips a little more. She would have never thought going so slow could bring her to such a shattering completion so soon but it did, and his followed hers almost immediately.

"Are you OK?" murmured he, a couple of minutes afterwards as he spooned her from behind, his arm wrapped around her middle.

"Better than OK. Although I must confess, I was expecting a little cave man action... not that I'm complaining... I'm just curious..."

Lex thought about the epiphany he'd had while talking with his daughter and the clench in his heart when he'd realised what was haunting her. He had once felt that way, a long time ago... Although he was convinced his words and tender hugging had reassured Laurie, he resented Chloe a bit for letting that feeling of insecurity take root in their child. His plan had been to bring it to her attention, but the minute he raised his eyes and saw her reflected in the mirror before him, glowing and enticing, he instinctively knew why she'd done it. And the knowledge of what the secret was had filled him with possessiveness and then... with awe.

_SMALLVILLE'S CHURCH- A ROOM NEXT TO THE VESTRY- 9.30 a.m._

The great day was finally here and the groom had lost a good part of his characteristic composure. He checked the bow of his tie for the umpteenth time and curved his urge to pull up his cuff to confirm only two minutes had elapsed since the last time he'd looked at his Napoleon-franc watch.

"Would you please stop fidgeting, Luthor? At least you could have a little compassion for a guy's poor nerves, especially after said man has made you a gigantic favour and risked his physical integrity and part of his fortune for your family."

Lex let his tie be and turned around to look at his best man with a mocking smile.

"First, you and I know there's no more cold-blooded bastard than you, Wayne. Hell, you put my legendary Luthor impassiveness to shame. Second, you were more than willing to do me that favour. You enjoyed it. You enjoyed having someone to exchange barbs with after that string of vapid blondes, even when you knew there was no future with her beyond an interview and maybe forging a meaningful friendship with a woman who isn't after your money. Third, don't try to deny you got a damn generous deal from me- an extra ten percent of Argus, which makes us _equal_ partners in a very lucrative business, the ownership of The Daily Planet for a pittance..."

"Well, I spent a small fortune on making sure Queen couldn't get his clutches on Satsuo Electronics."

"It'll be more than worth it to see his face when he realises it now belongs to LuthorCorp," smirked Lex, slipping the signed document with which Bruce had transferred him the property. "He needs it to put that pretentious futuristic aircraft in the air by the end of next year or he'll also have to kiss Queen Jets goodbye."

"I thought you two had finally buried the hatchet."

"This is business, Bruce. Oliver and I are still on opposite sides when it comes to the corporative jungle."

"There's more to it than that."

"Call it my final payback. I'll let me him stew for a while and then offer him a fair deal."

"I wonder what fair deal means when it comes to you and Queen. A hostile takeover?"

"A fair price. I just want to prove a point. I told Oliver I'm a man of my word...that I'd leave my battles with him for the business arena... He won't have anything to fear from me if he doesn't interfere with my affairs."

_Or break into LuthorCorp property dressed up as a peapod_, added Bruce in his mind.

"Besides, wasn't Queen the one to lure that lovely psychologist Chase Meridian away from you?" Lex cocked an eyebrow. "We both know why you made me this favour and it wasn't just our being friends. It was your hurt ego," he chuckled.

"Are you done making fun of me?" glared Bruce. "And why in heaven's name did you tell Kent I was the new owner of The Planet? We'd agreed to wait till the wedding."

"I had to give him a bone. He was growing suspicious, especially when he knows I can have access to information a lot more delicate by just snapping my fingers."

"You're lucky I'm half in love with those women of yours, Luthor, or I would have stood you up at the altar," Gotham's billionaire shook his head. "And stop looking at that goddam watch. I don't know what Chloe sees in you, but she's coming."

_LUTHOR MANSION- 9:40 a.m._

In less than an hour Chloe would become Mrs Lex Luthor and bind her life to the man who was her equal, her other half... The man who had made a mother of her and who would stop at nothing to protect those he loved. Once she had foolishly thought that man could be Clark. How naïve she had been and what a price she had had to pay for that delusion. It had been a painful price which ended up with several people's lives, including her own father's; a price which had made a conformist of her for a long while and one which had almost doomed a tortured soul to a life without love. A lot of innocent people had suffered because of a silly adolescent crush, a crush which had turned into a lethal weapon in the hands of a sick man. Lionel Luthor. He hated the bastard with a vengeance for the father he'd never been and for the father he'd taken away from her.

Lois looked at her little cousin as she finished applying her make-up and saw a fleeting look of sadness cross her face.

"Damn it, Chlo'! Look at you. I was supposed to be the first one."

"Well, something tells me, you won't have to wait too long," smiled the blonde softly, blinking away a couple of tears.

"We'll see... Smallville has never been known for being Mr Speedy," she sighed. "You miss him, don't you?"

"Who? Clark?" asked Chloe with a puzzled frown.

"Your dad," said the eldest cousin softly.

"Ever since I was little... I have never imagined a future without him being present. He's missed birthdays, Christmases, Laurie's birth and now... my wedding and..." she enumerated, before dropping her gaze to her lap.

"I know what I'm going to say might sound trite, but I'm sure wherever he is up there, he's looking over you. He loved you too much to miss the most important moments of your life."

"Thank you, Lo'," sobbed Chloe, hugging her cousin.

"Come on," said Lois after a couple of minutes. "Let's fix that eyeliner and put some drops in your eyes. Cue ball must be making a hole in the church carpet with those obscenely expensive shoes of his, and I don't think you'd like him to see your red eyes and think you're walking to the scaffold instead of marrying the love of your life. "

"Girls!" shouted the General, knocking peremptorily on the door. "What in Heavens' name is taking you so long? The ceremony will start without us."

"Coming, Dad!" blared Lois. "Are you sure you don't want me to look for a last- minute replacement to walk you down the aisle? I'm sure if you asked Clark..."

"That would be weird. And besides, your Dad has always been my favourite uncle."

"Your _only_ uncle."

"I know you two have still got issues to sort out, but I can't forget how important he was to me when Mom ran away and Dad couldn't cope."

"Yeah, well... I guess the Old Man has his redeeming qualities..."

"Talk to him, Lois. You both deserve another chance."

"I'll think about it. OK. Ready," she smiled, capping the eye definer. "Let's get you married."

_SMALLVILLE'S CHURCH- TWENTY MINUTES LATER_

This had to be the least pretentious wedding Lex had attended in his twenty-six years. The pews had been decorated with a simple arrangement of cream-coloured roses with delicate touches of green to compliment Chloe's wedding gown, which had been sewn by a local dressmaker who- Lex was sure- would become a household name once word got out in the gossip columns she had made it. Lex had always tried to help Smallville's economy and, judging by Martha and the Sullivan-Lane women, this young woman had talent; he'd be more than happy to give her a hand, even make her a business proposal to open her own shop in Metropolis. Who knew? There might be a future for LuthorCorp in fashion.

"I told you she was coming," chuckled Bruce when the first chords of Schubert's Ave Maria were heard and Lex breathed in relief.

"I knew she was coming," he shot him a sideway glance.

"Yes, that's why I was tempted to ask Alfred to bring a new white shirt from the emergency stash I always keep in my limo. It's a miracle your cuff isn't frayed after pulling it up so many times to look at the time."

"Shut up, Wayne," he snarled as the doors started to open and Laurie crossed the threshold in her princess dress carrying a basket full of cream-coloured petals she proceeded to scatter on the aisle.

Lex fought against the treacherous tears and the big lump in his throat when the little girl flashed him a luminous Sullivan smile before sitting down next to Martha in the front pew. And, then, he focused his eyes back on the woman he'd been waiting for all of his life and felt suddenly breathless. Chloe had never been more stunningly beautiful and resplendent than she was at that moment, walking down the aisle towards him on her uncle's arm.

As the last chords of the Ave Maria were heard, General Lane lifted her veil with slightly shaky fingers and with barely disguised emotion gave her a kiss on the cheek before handing her over to the groom. And everything came full circle.

_LUTHOR MANSION GARDENS- THE WEDDING RECEPTION- 1 p.m._

_Fāta viam invenērunt_. _Forever yours, Lex._

The fates found a way.

"Does it fit well? I can have the jeweller adjust it," said Lex still holding Laurie in his arms after twirling with her on the dance floor inside.

"It's perfect," smiled Chloe, slipping the gold band back on her ring finger. "Would you like to sit for a while on my lap, sweetie?" she asked Laurie. "OK. I'll lend you the groom for another dance," she chuckled when the girl shook her head and cuddled closer to Lex's chest. "I think you'd better hurry back to the dance floor. Clark's been throwing daggers at Bruce ever since Lois is dancing with him, and I have a hunch he's reaching boiling point."

"Did you know Wayne got martial arts training in Tibet? I've never seen him in action yet," he said with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

"Lex, don't you dare."

"OK. Luthor to the rescue," he sighed, leaning forward to press a lingering kiss on her mouth before leaving on his mission.

Clark was fuming. He could fill the bile rising as Wayne brought Lois even closer to whisper something in her ear which made her laugh and then press her face on his chest.

When the farm boy had learnt who the man was that had bought The Planet and swept Lois off her feet, even convinced her to dump everything and disappear for a fortnight with him, he'd felt devastated. Lois had once told him she would never be caught dating Richie Rich again, but it appeared Oliver had been just the first on the list.

It couldn't be true. Lois would never be with a man she didn't feel anything for... no matter how fat his chequebook might be. Clark hated the man with a vengeance.

"Excuse me for interrupting," smirked Lex when he reached the dancing couple. "I need to have a word with you, Wayne. Lane, seize your chance now," he said in a low voice. "He's standing next to the ice sculpture, in case you haven't felt his gaze boring two holes in your back."

"I guess it's show time," she shrugged her shoulders. "Thanks for being such a sport, Bruce," she added, kissing Gotham's billionaire on the cheek.

"Have a little mercy on the man," murmured Lex, seeing Clark tense out of the corner of his eye.

"Wish me luck, guys."

"Go get him," Lex encouraged her.

"Can I borrow your Princess for a while?" asked Bruce smiling at Laurie.

"Only if she doesn't object," replied Lex, eyeing his daughter with a questioning look.

"You'll let Uncle Bruce carry you for a while? We can go see if Alfred's got some candy canes stashed away in the glove compartment. How would you like that?"

"Mommy says candy's bad for my teeth. "

"How about a bar of chocolate?" offered the brown-haired billionaire.

"Mm..." she pondered, "with nuts?"

"We can see to that."

"OK," she gleamed, stretching out her arms for Bruce to pick her up.

_Little traitor._

"You've just dared bribe a Luthor and get away with it," murmured Lex next to the man's ear as they walked out of the ballroom. "You chicken, using a child as a human shield against a farm boy's rage."

"I just want to enjoy some quality time with my adoptive niece," replied Gotham's Golden Boy, feigning innocence.

"God, Wayne, I hope you're better at lying than this in your extra-curricular activities."

Clark saw Lois walk in a straight line towards the table he was hanging out at and realised this would be the perfect chance to have the talk he had been wanting to have ever since that weird week which followed their Red K-induced night of passion.

"Lois," he greeted her, feeling suddenly warm.

"You're flushed, Smallville. Too much punch?" she quipped, pouring herself a glass of champagne.

"I must have stayed too long in the sun. Talking about the sun, you look tanned, Lois."

"I do, don't I? There's nothing like sunbathing in the nude on the sands of the Caribbean," she took a sip, eying him over the rim of the glass and seeing him gulp.

"The C... Caribbean?" he stuttered.

"Yes, Bruce has a gorgeous property there and a private beach all to himself."

"Bruce? As in Bruce _Wayne_- Lex's best man?"

"Yes."

"Lois, how well do you know this... man?"

"Pardon?"

"I mean... you vanish off the face of the earth for two weeks... you don't answer your phone calls... And now you're saying all this time you've been with someone... a man... a playboy billionaire who has a different woman for dessert every night and..."

"That's a bit of a stretch, Clark..."

"You know what I mean, Lois."

"Wayne is a man of the world. So?"

"So? Lois..."

"Look, Smallville, I'm a grown-up woman and I really don't see what this has to do with you."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"What's wrong with a girl having a little fun? You should try it out sometime, Smallville," she told him challenging him with her eyes. "Hey! What are you doing? " he exclaimed as he grabbed her hand and dragged her behind a hedge.

"Be quiet, Lois," he beseeched her, looking around them. "I just need to talk to you."

"Wasn't that what we were doing?"

"In private."

"In private? Behind a hedge with a hundred guests on the other side who have seen you drag the maid of honour away from the party?"

"Look, Lois... I don't want you to go out with Wayne."

"What?"

"I don't want you to go out with..."

"Yes, I heard you the first time. What I meant was 'Why?' The last time I checked I was a free agent. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but you said very clearly that night had been a mistake. That it wasn't you. That it would have never happened if I hadn't bought that lipstick. Wasn't that what you said?"

"Yes... but... I lied. Well, I... we would have probably not... What I mean is... Look... Do you remember what you saw at the warehouse? You know what I..."

"Yes..."

"Well, that lipstick... The red meteor rock in it... it affects me."

"I surmised that much. I still have to wear make-up to cover a couple of hickeys."

"Yeah, well..." he blushed beetroot. "It affects me, but it doesn't make me do things I don't want to. It just... frees me from my inhibitions."

"So... you're saying..."

"Yes."

"OK. Now, would you care to explain to me why you don't want me to date Wayne? You might have been an enthusiastic and willing participant that night, but it was pretty clear to me..."

"I lied when I said I didn't have feelings for you. I don't want Wayne or any other man to touch you but me," he cut her off.

"Wow," gasped Lois, slightly breathless once he let her lips go. "That was quite a declaration, Smallville. By the way, nothing happened between Wayne and me."

"But I saw you two dancing and flirting on the dance floor... and the Caribbean..."

"That was just him giving me a hand to get my man," she smiled. "I needed a place to get away... lick my wounds and... make up a plan. It was more than worth it. I got one of the most elusive American tycoons to grant me an interview too... so... I think we'll have to negotiate that about not seeing him again because I was in the middle of my interrogation when we had to fly back for the wedding."

"Kent! Just the man I was looking for."

"Oh! Hi, Daddy!" exclaimed Lois, threading her arm through Clark's. "Follow my lead," she told the farm boy under her breath.


	28. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

The moon was filtering through the open window of the room Martha and Moira had got ready for the wedding night the newly-married couple would spend in the east wing of the castle before flying to Europe the following afternoon. It was a warm summer night and only the sound of the crickets and the still somewhat breathless breathing of both occupants were heard.

"Lex," murmured Chloe when he pressed a couple of soft kisses on her slightly damp nape and brought their naked and sated bodies closer to splay the hand which now bore the symbol of their eternal love bond on her womb.

"Mm," he replied nuzzling her neck and inhaling the delicate perfume of lilacs on her skin.

"I know this is kind of sudden and that it wasn't in our plans yet... "

"Chloe," he interrupted her, turning her over gently to look into her eyes," stop worrying. Can't you tell this is just the thing that was missing to make my happiness even more complete? It's a blessing to celebrate our new beginning. I can't wait to see you grow heavy with our child and to share with you and Laurie everything I missed when you were carrying our first baby and when she was born," he said in a voice charged with emotion, resting a protective hand on her tummy.

Chloe felt her eyes turn suddenly watery and leant forward to seal her husband's lips with a soft and lingering kiss.

"You knew, didn't you? Last night when you came back from tucking Laurie in? I could tell something was off when you entered the room. There was a strange coiled energy in you... You were mad, weren't you? That I had asked Laurie to keep it a secret?"

"No, I wasn't mad. I was a little upset... Not because you wanted to surprise me with the news tonight... It was because of the way the news had affected Laurie..."

"It was an accident that she found out the way she did. I had had a particularly ugly bout of morning sickness and Mom was helping me get changed into a clean nightdress. Laurie must have heard the movement in my bedroom and sneaked in in time to overhear what we'd been talking about. I was planning to break the news to you first and then for us to have a quiet conversation with her. I talked to her, told her it wouldn't change the way I feel for her... I guess I did a mess of things..."

"No, you didn't. It wasn't you she was worried about... Maybe the fact you've been with her all of her life makes her more confident in _your_ love for her."

"Oh, Lex!" she choked.

"It took me a while to persuade her I won't stop loving her when the baby's born ..."

"That's why she was a lot clingier around you than usual at the reception today," she sniffled a little.

"Yes, that was until Bruce bribed her away with a bar of chocolate with nuts."

"Jealous? Like father like daughter," chuckled Chloe. "You can't hide what's here from me," she added with a soft smile, touching his chest were his heart was now beating at its regular pace. "If I had had any doubts about your knowing we were pregnant, your gentle lovemaking of yesterday night dispelled them. That poker-face of yours doesn't work on me."

"When you told me you'd been expecting a little caveman action, I thought you were probing to see if Laurie had let the secret out. I knew I might be giving a lot away then... but you can't blame me; I'd never made love to a pregnant woman, least of all to a woman pregnant with my child."

"I know. But, for your information, my doctor's said there's no reason why we can't keep making love during the pregnancy; even be a little more enthusiastic now and then. Within reason, of course."

"Of course. We'll have to wait until next year to use those handcuffs Lois gave you as a present," smirked Lex.

"Oh, God! I thought I would die of shame when I opened that particular box in front of the guests."

"Daddy!" screamed a sobbing voice interrupting their playful banter.

"Nightmare," stated Chloe. "You go or I do?"

"I will," he replied, slipping on his pyjamas bottoms.

Chloe had just got out of the bathroom and was putting on her nightdress to slip under the covers once again when Lex came back from Laurie's room with the girl in his arms.

"Do you think you could make room for an extra lodger?" he asked, closing the door.

"Sure. Come here, Baby," replied Chloe, drawing the covers back for Lex to lay the child in front of her. "Bad dream?"

"Mm," nodded Laurie, snuggling closer to her as Lex walked to his side of the bed and slipped back under the covers.

"It was the clown again," explained Lex, spooning Chloe and wrapping an arm around both girls to include Laurie in the safe cocoon that had a new member now.

Chloe reclined a little more on his chest and gave him a sloppy kiss on the mouth before laying her head on the pillow and fingering her St Christopher medal, which still rested on her bosom.

_Fāta viam invenient_

The Fates have finally found the way.

**THE END**


End file.
